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THE a)[.UMBIAN 

BiocRAPi HCAL Dictionary 



PORTRAIT GALLERY ^ 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN 



UNITED STATES. 



WISCONSIN VOLU M !•:. 



ISSUED undp;r the direction ok 
D. 1. NELKE. 



'A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything 
worthy to be remembered with pride by remote descendants" MACAULAY. 



CUKAC.O: 

THE LEWIS I'L'KI.ISHING COMPANY. 

1895. 



l(i2ryG 



1868. 



I'RKFACi:. 



TT will assuredly not i)rove uninteresting to observe in the series of biographical 
-*- sketches which ajipear in these columns the varying nationality, origin and early 
environnu-nl ol the men who have made their way to jjositions of prominence and 
success. In no l)ctter way can we gain a conception of the diverse elements which 
have entered into our social and commercial life and which will impart to the future 
American type It-atures which caiuiot be conjectured at the present time. We ha\e 
had an American t\i)e in the|)ast: we shall ha\c a dislinctl\ely American character 
in the future, but, for the i)res('nl, amalgamation of the varied (dements is prtjceed- 
ing, and the final result is yet remote. 

The specific and distinctive office of biograi)hy is not to gi\-e voice to a man's 
estimate of himself and his accomplishment, but nil her to lea\e the ])er])etual record 
establishing his character b\' the consensus of opinion on tlu; i)art of his fellow-men. 
That great factor, the public, is a discriminating factor, and takes cognizance not of 
objective exaltation, nor yet of objective modesty, but debcs deeper into the in- 
trinsic essence of character, strike's the key-note of indi\ iduality and pronounces 
judicially and unequivcjcally upon the honest worth of the man, in\ariably dis- 
tinguishing the clear resonance of the true metal from the jarring dissonance of the 
baser. 

The province, then, of this publication is clearl\- delined, and there has been 
in its compilation a distinct avoidance of undue adulation; the life history of each 
individual represented has Ijeen touched upon as aside from his personal estimate, 
and that the reiord is one \vorth\- of perpetuation time and the judgment of men 
can but determine favorabb'. 



I X I) !•: X 



A 

A.Liiiis. c. l\ ;i« 

AdltT, David 8.J4 

Allen, Xullian U 449 

Allis, K. I' 888 

Allliipii .". M .1 8K0 

Aiidcrsim, Mmi« 598 

Austin, Diivid 496 

B 

li;i.uii, K, I' 44 

Macon, \V. n 194 

Uakf-r, H. (• 378 

Uaidon, Thomas 738 

Uarlli'tt, Loman : 366 

Hartliii. \V. I' 122 

Ha-liloid, If. M 149 

|{i-acli, Orvillt' 350 

IJcckcr, Wasliinffton 618 

Ui-nnftt, .1. R 217 

Ucyer, George 658 

Hlack, Jolin 838 

Howfn, Ephrairn 361 

Bowers, Samuel S 633 

Hoyle, Henry 484 

liradshaw. J. W 281 

Uiadsliaw, P. K 694 

liryaiit, B. F 202 

liyrant, G. E 830 

Bnllen, C. A 246 

IJiirr, Benjamin 258 

( 

( .ini< Ton, Antrns 201 

Cameron, Cfrll 193 

Cam|i, If. II '. 536 

CarffiU, \V. W 125 

Carpenter, M. H 466 

Carson, William 405 

Cassoday, .1. B 157 

Caswell, L. B 642 

Child, W. VV 808 

( hoale, Leander 690 



Cliiirchill, Charles 862 

Clark, Charles B 73 

Clarke, F. B "526 

Ccninor, II. J 605 

Cook, Ossiaii 263 

Cotzhansen, F. \V. von 518 

Cramer, William E 779 

Cudahy, Patrick 228 

Cnrran,.!. A 241 

I> 

Dale,George 812 

Dale,H,B 318 

Davis, D. H 828 

Dick, J. J 819 

Doolittle, J. U 26 

Dousman, Colonel 11. L 222 

Dousmaii, II. L 566 

Drown, William 561 

E 

Eaton, E. D 578 

Elliott, E. S 710 

Ellis, A. G 714 

Ellis, Frank U 641 

Emos, II. M 2.55 

V 

Faircliild, Lucius 801 

Fall, II.. I 4!)2 

Fay, B. F 626 

Felker, C. W 713 

Field, George L 647 

FifieUJ, Sam 63 

Fisk, Wm. J 375 

Flower, Frank A 600 

Foster, N. C liVi 

Framlmeh, II. A 147 

Frame, A. .1 654 

Fuller, C. H 370 

(; 

Gates, James L 498 

Gerry, George W 548 



Cf illun-t. William '''^•' 

Gilo, Aimer '^^'^ 

Gile, G. H 208 

Gilson, F.I 478 

Gilson, N.S 399 

Giiodlnnd, John 105 

Grace, Perry *'*' 

Greene, George G ^''■1 

Gregory, C. N ■"'"" 

Gregory, J. C '''W 

Griffin, Michael ■"'*' 

Giuul, John "'^l 

11 

lla.lticlil. J.J ''=^1 

Hamilton, I. K •>••- 

Hamilton, W. C 1«^ 

Hammel, David ""^ 

Hanchett, Luther ■J^^f' 

Harwood, A. P 5*>1 

Hastings,8.D 143 

Hastings, S. D., Jr 070 

Havigan, H. G 709 

Hay, S. >I 341 

Henry, Ira L 682 

Hixon, G. C 250 

Hoard, W. D 116 

Hoffman, F. A 540 

Holway, N. B 832 

Howe, Timothy O 304 

Humphrey, H. L 634 

llurlliut, Edwin 795 

Hyde. Welcome 588 

I 

Injrram, U. H SO 

J 

Jenkins,J.n 842 

Johnston, John 183 

Johnston, L. F 585 

Jones, A. M 724 

Jones, Burr W 606 

K 

Koiinan, T. L 650 

Kennedy, Donald 612 

Kidd, E. I .* 371 

Knight, J. H 92 

Koch, John C 242 



L 

Lawlcr, Joliii 442 

Lea, Hichard 397 

Lihbey, D. L 106 

Lovejoy, A. P '51 

Lyon, W. P 470 

M 

Mayham. T. F 303 

McDonald, Alex 191 

McDonough, Frank OO;! 

Mclndoe, Walter 81(i 

McLean, F. J 302 

McMillen, Pobert 340 

Jlendel, II. M 562 

Jlerrill, Hiram . . 200 

Merrill, S.S 70 

Merryman, A. C 88 

Merton, Ernst 279 

Messmer, 8. G 555 

Miller, J. F 556 

Mills, Simeon (i8(i 

Mitchell, Alexander 84(! 

Mitchell, J. L 793 

Moore, M. D 408 

Morgan, J. R 078 

Morgan, R. T 736 

Moses, L. D 811 

Moshier, Win. G 715 

N 

Newman. A. W 464 



O'Hearn, W. U 785 

Ormsby, D. G (i98 

Orion, H. S 29 

Otjen, G.S 172 

OtjfM, Theoliald 492 

P 

Park, G.I 113 

Pattison, Martin -.yii 

Paul, John 395 

Payne, H. C" , 66 

Peck, George W 016 

Penney, A. JI 490 

Pereles, Nathan 437 

Perley, J. W ;i29 

Pettilioiie, C. .1 510 

Peltil, (). M 248 



Ptister, Giiido 48 

I'liillips, .loliii 2C7 

I'i.iM.-y, s. r 288 

I'luiMcr. I). I, 1H6 

I'oolcr. FiMiik 401 

l'..rl(r. .1. II 610 

l'iviiti>s W. A 169 

ri-cMliss, Tliri.l.irc 8:!") 

I'liliM'.v. F. II r,r,2 

(^luirU's, J. V :iar) 

" It 

Uayin.Mid, .].<> (il 

Ui.lcoiit, \V. K Ill 

Hitau, u. A rm 

Rogers, C. C 845 

Hoe, (J. W 899 



H.) 



•11. 



312 



Hove.-, I.. H 354 

Uiiblpi', Ilonicc :!6 

Russell, R. C 71 

Uuss.'U, Tlu.nias P 41 

Uyau, T. E 227 

S 

Sanderson, Kdward 282 

Sawyer. K. P 188 

Sawyer, Philetus 7 

Schuette, John 855 

Scofield, Edward 856 

Shaw, Daniel 486 

Shaw, Eugene 87 

Shaw, G. R 629 

Shores, Eugene A 287 

Simmons, U. JI 741 

Simmons. Z. G 5(15 

Skinner, .1. \V 718 

Smith, A. A. I- 782 

Smith, Aug. L 98 

Smith, E. D 269 

Smith, II. D.V. 322 

Spence, T. W .' 404 

Spooner, J.C 126 

Stark, Joshua 174 

Stephenson, Isaac- 32 



Strong, Moses M 51 

T 

Taylor, II. A :,:; 

Taylor, I,. A 484 

Taylor, \V. K 7.5H 

Teall, George C 286 

Thomas, O. B 821 

Thoihiison, A. IC 516 

Thorp, J. G (!28 

Tliwaites, R. (! !)7 

Tomkins, W. .M 30!) 

Torrison, Osuld 359 

Tourtellotte, Mills 408 

Tyler, Alviui K 427 

r 

Upliaiii, \V. II 744 

\ 

Van Nort wick, J. S 273 

Vilas, Joseph 288 

Vilas, William F T(i7 

Von Cotzluuisen, F. W .jl8 

^\ 

Washlmrn, G. C 572 

Waterman, A. P o8u 

Waterman, S. IT 292 

Weaver, Richard (j66 

Weber, William A 085 

Webster Daniel 3411 

W.-ek. A.K 717 

We.'k, .Inlni..^ 356 

Wells, DanieKJr 318 

West, Edward 40i) 

Wliorton, J. H 275 

Willi, Benjamin .551 

Wilson. William 421 

Winklci-. F. ( .-,94 

Winslow, C. I) 477 

Winslow, J. B 104 

Withee, Levi (i32 

Withec, X. II 512 

Woodnortli, J. II (;74 

Woodward, F. A 296 

Y 

Young, Wm. il 330 




''/'uAl^ cT^i/^Y^i^ 



BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY. 



PORTRAIT GALLERY. 



WISCONSIN. 



HON. PHILETUS SAWYER, 

USHKO.SH. 

PHII.ETUS SAWYER was born in Rutland county, Vermont, September 22, 
1816. When he was about a year old his father moved with his family to 
Essex county, in the State of New York, and located at Crown Point. He was a 
farmer and blacksmith, who became embarrassed and impoverished by signing 
notes with others, and was a man of scanty means and humble ambition. 

The sons of men in his station in that day were not a burthen to be borne and 
toiled for until they should go out into the world for themselves. A family of 
boys on a farm was to the father a source of prosperity, which gave him great ad- 
vantages over his poor neighbor whose operations were limited to the capacity of 
his own labor or carried on with hired help. 

.So the young Philetus, at an early age, began to take his share in the "chores" 
around the farm and house and shop, and as his years and stature increased and 
his muscles grew stronger, it was in the natural course of events that while yet a 
mere youth he should take upon himself the work of a man. The summer that 
he was fourteen, he worked out for the munificent sum of six dollars per month. 

On the west shore of Lake Champlain, where the rocks and ravines of the Ad- 
irondack mountains leave but a narrow margin, and at some points none, of arable 
land, hard, continuous toil was a condition precedent to a supply of the necessaries 
and most common comforts of existence. Under such conditions the wants of the 
body necessarily take precedence of those of the intellect. The educational ad- 
vantages of the boys were therefore limited to the annual three months' winter 
term of the common schools during the brief period between early childhood and 
stalwart youth. Among the pines of the Adirondack region at that time the busi- 
ness of lumbering was carried on in a primitive fashion, and in the woods and at 
a neighboring sawmill, Mr. .Sawyer, at an early age, became initiated in the business 
in which afterward he laid the foundation and reared the superstructure of a for- 
tune, which, in his most hopeful dreams in those days, would have appeared im- 
possible. 



I!U)(;KA1'11KAL dictionary and I'ORl'RAir GALLERY OF THE 



It was a wild, and with exceptional small areas of land here and there, a barren 
and sterile region in wliicli he grew up to manhood. But nature, which yielded 
subsistence only to persistent toil, was in another respect more bountiful. 

The salubrious atmosphere of a mountainous region was conduciYe to health. 
In the forests roamed then wild deer, wolves and bears, and an occasional panther. 
The mountain streams abounded with speckled trout. These furnished sport 
enough for the scanty time that could be given to sport. The eternal hills reared 
their rocky crests, a perpetual background to the westward landscape; and across 
the limpid waters of Lake Champlain was spread the verdant panorama of the hills 
and mountains of Vermont. 

The character of men is affected by the natural aspects of the country in which 
they are reared. The mention of his native land will bring a light to the eye of 
the hardy Switzer or Scotch Highlander, which it will not bring to that of the emi- 
grant of the sterile plains of Pomerania or the dyke-protected fields of Holland. 
So the region in which Mr. Sawyer's youth was spent produced robust men and 
women — robust both physically and intellectually. 

The legal proposition that the father is entitled to the services of his minor 
children was one of constant practical application in those days. When Mr. Sawyer 
reached the age of seventeen he was a strong, vigorous youth; ambitious, self-re- 
liant, and eager to commence the work of making his own way in the world. His 
father wanted monej^; he wanted to be master of his own time; and a bargain was 
easil)' made. He borrowed one hundred dollars from an older brother and paid it 
to his father for his own services for the next four years. Before the time expired 
his debt to his brother was paid, and he had given himself two more winter terms 
in the district school, from his savings as a sawmill hand. 

The education which could be acquired in a few winter terms in the district 
schools of that time was of the most elementary kind. The written law required 
that the teacher should be able to read, write, and cipher to the rule of three. The 
unwritten law required that he should not spoil the children by sparing the rod. 

The ambition of young Sawyer was of that practical kind, which an intelligent, 
energetic youth would be almost certain to have, under such circumstances, — the 
ambition to rise above the hard conditions which surrounded his youth, and to 
acquire a competency as soon as energy, prudence and industry would enable him 
to do so. Great wealth and high position were not included in his expectations. 

But he was not one to rely entirely upon the labor of his own hands for the 
achievement of even such limited results as he aspired to. Being gifted with both 
brains and muscle, he used both, and was soon operating the mill, at which he 
worked, under contract, sawing "by the thousand." 

It was one of those water-power sawmills of primitive construction, of the kind 
in which the saws were placed in a frame, which are facetiously spoken of by more 
modern lumbermen as "going up to-daj' and coming down to-morrow." 

Operating a mill with^a capacity for sawing two or three thousand feet of lum- 
ber per day, was a slow method of acquiring wealth, under the most favorable cir- 
cumstances. 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 



Before Mr. Sawyer was twenty-five years of age, in 1841, he was married to 
Melvina M. Hadley, a young lady of an adjoining town eminently qualified for a 
help-meet to such a man, in every situation and station of his career. December 4, 
1842, his son and present partner, Edgar P. Sawyer, was born. 

Fourteen years after he had purchased the remainder of his minority from his 
father, in the fall of 1847, Mr. Sawyer, then thirty-one years old, with his family, 
consisting of his wife and two sons, joinerl the tide of emigration then flowing from 
the East to the great West. 

By industry, economy and good management he had succeeded in accumulat- 
ing a capital of about two thousand dollars, with which to try his fortune in a new 
country — the slow but steady accumulation of ten years. Ten years of hard work 
they had been; but they were also years of training — of rr/^rrtZ/Vw, by observation 
and experience— which fitted him to see and take advantage of the opportunities 
which the new country was to offer. 

It is not unusual to speak of the early lives of men wlio have risen to eminence 
from the ranks of the poor, as a struggle with poverty. 

In the case of Mr. Sawyer, although he commenced at seventeen with only his 
hands and brains and a good physical constitution, his life to this period was not in 
the proper sense a struggle. The great lesson of his career, for the young and 
ambitious, is not that he struggled a.nd succeeded against adverse conditions. 

It is that he succeeded, as any young man with health, common sense and will, 
may succeed, by industry, sufificient will and self-denial to keep his expenditures be- 
low his earnings, and the use of such opportunities as he had. These are what con- 
stitute thrift, and lead to a success which will be measured largely, in its extent, by 
the natural endowments of the individual. 

He did not attempt to discount the future, nor waste time waiting for better 
opportunities. He did not scorn the opportunity to accumulate two hundred dollars 
a year in the hope of finding a more brilliant opportunity to accumulate more rapidly. 

Doubtless, it was hard work and a slow advance, but it was not a struggle. The 
result was as certain as the result of human plans can be. The contingency of 
sickness, or of disaster from the elements, were the only contingencies. 

It is step by step, and not by great strides or bounds, that men who rise in the 
world begin to rise — a truism which young men who will not deny themselves at 
present for the hope of ease and comfort in the future, are apt to forget or ignore. 
Such young men might i)rofit by studying and imitating the early part of Mr. 
Sawyer's life. 

A pleasant anecdote connected with his removal to the West illustrates some- 
what one'trait of his chara.cter which will be referred to hereafter. 

When he was starting upon his westward journey, an older brother who lived 
and died a farmer on the Ticonderoga flats, asked him how much money he had. 
He answered that he had two thousand dollars secured in his belt, but the amount 
in his pockets he did not know. Upon counting, it was found to be one hundred 
and ninety-nine dollars. His brother handed him a dollar with the remark, "Now, 
remember that when you .started for the West you had just twenty-two hundred 
dollars. " 



lO BIOGRArmCAL DK/TIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY (JF IIIF. 

Years afterward, when the brother had become an old man, and Mr. Sawyer had 
become wealthy and held an honored position in the Senate of the United States, 
he was at one time visiting his old home and his brother. Seeing, or imagining 
that he saw, some indications of depression or uneasiness in his brother's manner 
Mr. Sawyer inquired if he was in debt. The brother, rather reluctantly, admitted 
an indebtedness of about twelve hundred dollars, which, from a falling off in the 
profits of his farm and his increasing age, began to worry him. Mr. Sawyer ascer- 
tained the names of the creditors, and, on the next day, went out and bought up 
all of his brother's outstanding paper, took it to his home and delivered it to him. 
"I am not giving you this," said he; "I am paying my debt to you." His brother 
looked somewhat mystified. "What debt?" he inquired. 

"Do you remember," said Mr. Sawyer, "giving me a dollar when I started for 
the West? This is that dollar with the accumulations. I have made about that 
amount with it." 

"Ah!" said the brother, seeing the merry twinkle in the Senator's blue eyes; "I 
wish 1 had given you ten or fifteen dollars more." 

Mr. Sawyer removed to Wisconsin, and settled upon a farm which he purchased 
in Fond du Lac county. Many ambitious men emigrated to the West in those 
days hoping and expecting to become leaders among the people of the new country, 
and to reap the honors of political preferment. Mr. Sawyer had no such expecta- 
tions. The profits of a sawmill as he had known them were not very great. Farm- 
ing on the rich soil of his new home promised, at least, equal reward for his labor 
and time, and his ambition, then, was only to own a good farm, well improved and 
well stocked, which in his declining years should secure the comforts of life, and 
freedom from the necessity of constant toil, when hard work might become irk- 
some, or beyond his strength. 

This was the humble ambition with which he, like many others, sought and 
found a new home in the great Northwest. Some realized it, many did not. A 
brief experience satisfied Mr. Sawyer that he had not selected the best field for the 
exercise of his energy and industry. 

It happened — fortunately perhaps — that there were two seasons of short crops 
following his settlement there. This was discouraging. Two years of toil without 
some remuneration was a new experience to him. Only a short distance away the 
great pineries of the Wolf river held out tempting inducements to lumbermen. The 
work of the farmer was monotonous; if to continue unremunerative, unendurable. 
His decision was soon made. The farm was disposed of, and in December, 1849, 
he removed to the village of Algoma, now in the city of Oshkosh. The previous 
winter he worked for small wages in the pineries. 

There was a sawmill in the village of Algoma, which had nearly or quite ruined 
its owners. This mill Mr. Sawyer operated successfully in the season of 1850 upon 
a contract by the thousand feet. Then he rented the mill and operated it on his 
own account, until 1853, vvith reasonable success. 

Fond du Lac, seventeen miles south of Oshkosh at the foot of Lake Winnebago, 
was then the most thriving town in northern Wisconsin; to it centered the trade of 
a large area of fertile, country, and as a point for the distribution of lumber by 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. II 

\va<j;on and sleigh loads it had great advantages. In 1853 Mr. Sawyer formed a 
partnership with Messrs. Brand & Olcott, lumber manufacturers and dealers of 
I'ond du Lac, and purchased the mill which he had been operating. The mill was 
improved, and soon rebuilt, and the production increased, and thereafter, until 
railroads opened an outlet to more distant markets, a large part of the production 
of the mill was shipped upon sailing vessels to Fond du Lac, where it was sorted, 
piled and marketed. Mr. Olcott retired from the firm in 1856, and the firm of Brand 
& Sawyer continued the business until 1862. 

Marked success in the lumbering business during that period was rather ex- 
ceptional. The history of Oshkosh and Fond du Lac was dotted with the wrecks 
of lumbering enterprises. The best illustration of the sagacity and success with 
which the business of Brand & Sawj^er had been continued, is the fact that in 1862 
Mr. Sawyer purchased the interest of his partner, Mr. Brand, at an advance of over 
seventy thousand dollars above his original capital in the business. The following 
year his only surviving son, Mr. Edgar P. Sawyer, was taken as a partner in his 
general business, and since that time the firm has been P. Sawyer & Son, a firm 
whose word has always been as good as their bond, and their bond as good as gold. 

So much of the details of Mr. Sawyer's life before he became conspicuous in 
public life it is necessarj' to know to understand truly the character of the man, and 
the reasons that made possible his exceptionally long and brilliant career in public 
life. The details and statistics of his subsequent business operations through which 
he has become a man of great wealth might be interesting for the gratification of 
curiosity. But the purpose in view is not to write a full biography, but to portray, 
as well as the writer can, a character which is in many ways a worthy example for 
imitation, and an honorable career. 

It was of course that when such a man began to have any surplus capital, be- 
yond the repuirements of his regular business, he would seek for it profitable in- 
vestments, and it was natural that his investments should be largely such as the 
business itself suggested — in pine and timber lands. It was natural, too, that in the 
hands of a man of his shrewdness and sagacity, accumulated capital should con- 
tinue to accumulate with accelerating rapidity, and be distributed in a diversity of 
investments. In this respect his history is not very different from that of many 
sagacious financiers. From the foundation of the National Bank of Oshkosh — one 
of the most solid financial institutions in Wisconsin — he has been one of its direc- 
tors and officers, and is connected as a stockholder and director with several others. 
As a stockholder in extensive mills on the Menominee river and elsewhere, and ex- 
tensive lumber yards in Chicago, he retained a connection with the business of his 
earlier life. The difference, between his mill at Menominee turning out a hundred 
and fifty thousand feet of lumber in a day, and the old water-power mill at Crown 
Point, sawing two thousand feet, illustrates fairly the results of the industry, pru- 
dence and sound judgment which have characterized his life. 

His sagacity, though more far-reaching than'that of other men, was never over- 
reaching. No man questioned his integrity. No man claimed to have been de- 
frauded l)y him. 



12 BlOGKArillCAL DICTIONARY ANIi POKTRAIl' GALLERY OF THE 

A Strong illustration of the character of Mr. Sawyer as a business man may be 
found in one simple fact. From the beginning of the logging and lumbering busi- 
ness in connection with the Wolf river pineries, contracts relating to the business — 
logging contracts as they are termed — and sawing contracts, have been prolific 
sources of litigation. The calendars of the courts have teemed with such causes; 
courts and jurors have jnizzled their brains over them, and lawyers have pocketed 
fees out of them. 

Mr. Sawyer has made scores of contracts — contracts to furnish supplies to the 
loggers and purchase the logs when run down; contracts with parties to put in and 
run logs by the thousand; contracts for sawing; contracts of every conceivable kind 
connected with or growing out of the lumbering business of that region, and he 
was never individually a party to a lawsuit. 

His judgment of men was so accurate that those with whom he contracted 
seldom, if ever, tried to defraud him. His sense of justice or generosity frequently 
led him, when the result of a contract had been favorable to him, to add a gratuity 
after the settlement was completed. 

So, exactingly honest in his dealings, and dealing honestly, fairly and generously 
with himself, he built up a large fortune and preserved the confidence, respect and 
esteem of those with whom he had dealings, and of all in his employment. 

When he ceased to operate his old sawmill at Oshkosh about 1874, there was 
a man who had been employed in it over a quarter of a century. He had com- 
menced a youth, and worked faithfully until he was nearly fifty. His accumula- 
tions in that time were in a house and lot, and home comforts — including a family. 
He desired, when the mill closed, to get on to a farm. With Mr. Sawyer's assist- 
ance, he exchanged his little homestead for a farm, upon which Mr. Sawyer paid 
twenty-five hundred dollars and took a mortgage from him. The mortgage was 
held by Sawyer & Son, and they advanced a few hundred dollars more to enable 
the man to procure horses, machinery and tools for farming. But the profits of 
his agriculture did not enable the debtor to reduce the debt or meet the interest. 
The man was approaching old age with a burthen which he could not drop and 
which was too heavy to carry. Realizing the situation and necessary anxiety of 
the man and his wife, Mr. Sawyer concluded to relieve it, and one day he presented 
them the note and mortgage with a full release and a receipted bill of P. Sawyer & 
Son for the account, with the remark, " Now you don't owe a cent to P. Sawyer or 
to P. Sawyer & Son." It was unexpected to them. It was not strange that their 
gratitude and happiness could find no better expression than tears. Probably there 
were three persons happy at that brief interview, and as Mr. Sawyer turned hastily 
away, perhaps it was as much to conceal his own emotion as to avoid theirs. 

A girl who had served faithfully in his family for many years became engaged 
to, and married a worthy, industrious man; Mr. Sawyer's wedding gift was the fee 
simple of a comfortable house and lot, for a home, which Mr. Sawyer afterward 
purchased from thcin for three thousand ilollars. There were nian\- otlier similar 
instances. 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 1 3 



riiese incidents arc mentioned as illustratinir u character. Instances in which 
he furnished capital to aid the ener^jy of others in business enterprises, to their 
mutual advantajfe might be mentioned; and he seldom, if ever, suffered loss 
therefrom. 

A brief account of his operations about the head-waters of the Wolf river will 
fairly illustrate his character and sagacity as a business man. The method of sup- 
plying the mills at Oshkosh with logs, has always been to cut and haul the logs to 
the Wolf river and its tributaries, in the winter, and float them down the river in 
the sjiring. On the small tributaries dams were built at intervals, in which a head 
could be raised, and then the dams opened to create a flood, on which the logs 
below could be run. 

.Man\- years ago there were large tracts of very valuable i)ine timber around 
the head waters of the Wolf river, which were not accessible, because it was im- 
possible to drive out the logs upon the streams, which were full of rocks and rapids 
and too small to float them out. 

In 1868 Mr. Sawyer resolved to investigate this timlier, and the chances for 
getting it out. He cjuietl}' spent several weeks tramping and camping in the woods; 
took experts with him to examine the river and tributaries, estimate the chances 
and expense of making such improvements, as would make it possible to get the 
timber out; and after such investigation quietly purchased large tracts of the best 
timbers at prices which, a few years later, would have been merely nominal. 

A charter was procured for the Keshena Improvement Company, which was 
authorized to make the necessary improvements, and collect toll upon logs run 
out through them. Its capital was one hundred thousand dollars, of which a large 
I)art was taken 1)\- him, as others could not be induced to take it. With about 
sixty men and several teams he went himself to start the work. Old woodsmen 
and rivermen doubted, or jeered at it. But the work went on and was successful, 
and untold millions of the best timber in Wisconsin was made accessible. The 
earnings extended the improvements as fast as required, and paid handsome 
dividends. 

After the first improvements were made Mr. Sawyer sold a section of his jjine 
for fifty thousand dollars. The purchaser wanted liim to make lower figures, 
which he declined to do, but offered to put in with the land five thousand dollars 
of the stock of the company, on which thirty per cent, had been paid. The pur- 
chaser took the land, but declined to take the stock, because he feared there w^ould 
be assessments on the stockholders. 

" Well," said Mr. Sawyer, " I will keep the stock for you. You can call for it 
when you 'want it." Two or three years afterward, when its value was assured he 
called for it and it was transferred to him. 

This illustrates his method of engaging in large ente prises. He took no Ijlind 
chances. He investigated all the facts; calculated as closely as possible the cost 
and the results, and usually, as in this case, the profits exceeded his expectations. 

Gifted, above most men, with a wonderful memory and capacity for storing 
away in his mind a multiplicity of affairs —pigeon-holed, as it were, so that any 
one of them can be taken nj) when the occasion arises, and then give place to 



14 BIOGRArmCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

another without confusion of thought, he was able — as many men are not — to give 
time and attention to public affairs without impairing his grasp and control of his 
own. His accurate judgment of the qualities and capacity of men also enabled him 
to have the right man in the right place, among his agents and assistants. 

So when the little village to which he removed in 1849 became a part of a 
thriving young city, almost by the common consent of his neighbors of the ward 
in which he lived, he was repeatedly chosen to represent them as Alderman in the 
City Council. He was magnanimous (which will be illustrated hereafter) , sagacious, 
conciliatory, but never cringing — a born leader of men. 

Mr. Sawyer had formerly been politicallj' a Democrat of free-soil proclivities, 
but he acted and voted with the Republican party soon after its organization. In 
the fall of 1856 he was nominated by that party in his Assembly District for Repre- 
sentative in the Legislature of 1857, and was easily elected. He had by this time 
so acquired the confidence of the people among whom he lived that office began to 
seek him. The term "office seeker" never had any proper application to him. 

In the Wisconsin Assembly of 1857 he applied to the business of legislation 
the same careful scrutiny of details and the same sound judgment which made his 
private business so successful, and returned to his constituents more firmly estab- 
lished in their confidence than ever. 

But Mr. Sawyer's private business was not yet in a condition to dispense with 
his nearly constant supervision. His partner, at that time^ Mr. Brand, resided at 
Fond du Lac, and his son (^his partner since 1863) was yet too young and inex- 
perienced to take charge of affairs in his absence. He therefore declined further 
political honors until the fall of i860, when he again accepted a nomination for the 
Legislature in 1861. The unsettled condition of the country; the threats of seces- 
sion on the part of a number of the States in the contingency of the election 
of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency — then considered almost certain — in- 
dicated that the .session might be a stirring and important one, and it was 
deemed important that everywhere the best men should be selected for the State 
Legislature. Public opinion in his district pointed surely and steadily to Philetus 
Sawyer as the right man, and he yielded to it. 

There was also a special reason for his willingness to accept the position. The 
Republican party of Wisconsin had got into a false, and, under the impending cir- 
cumstances, embarrassing position. To the people of the State generally the com- 
promises of 1850 — and especially that part known as the Fugitive Slave Law — had 
been very distasteful. But the State was off the line of the escape of fugitive 
slaves, and their dislike took no practical form of expression. 

In March, 1854, the capture of Samuel Glover, a fugitive slave, and his forcible 
rescue by a mob, created an excitement throughout the State. The leader in the 
rescue was arrested and committed for trial, by a United States Court Commis- 
sioner, and was released upon habeas corpus before one of the Justices of the Su- 
preme Court of the State in June, 1854. He, with another, was indicted by a grand 
jury, and committed by the Judge of the United States District Court. They ap- 
plied to the .Su])reme Court for a writ of //alwas corpus, which was refused in 
July, 1854. 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 1 5 



In the iicat of ihe excitement caused by these proceedinirs, the Republican party 
of the State was organized at a mass convention held at the State Capitol July 4th. 

The men were tried and convicted of a violation of the Fugitive Slave Law, 
sentenced and committed to the jail in Milwaukee. In January, 1855, they again 
applied to the Supreme Court of the .State, and in Februar}' were released on habeas 
corpus, the court holding the law unconstitutional and void. A writ of error from 
the Supreme Court of the United States was disregarded, and that court proceeded 
to hear the case on a certified transcript of the proceedings procurred liy an attorney. 
The decision of the State Court was reversed. 

Through the excitement caused by these proceedings, rash, impetuous s])irits 
were enabled to commit the party to the most extreme doctrine of nullification. 
In its conventions and through its newspapers the theory of State sovereignty 
was invoked against the obnoxious law. The attorney of the rescuers of Glover 
was elevated to the bench of the Supreme Court, where it is but just to say 
he proved an able jurist and upright judge, whence he afterward was removed 
by death, respected and mourned by his colleagues and the entire bar of the State. 
The Hon. Carl Schurz, then a resident of Wisconsin, advocated the doctrine in a 
public speech in Milwaukee (which was widely circulated), in a strain of eloquence 
and with a force of logic which would have done honor to its great apostle, Calhoun. 

Demagogues (there are some in all parties) fell in and swam with the current. 
Timid men kept silence, and only here and there a voice was raised against the 
political heresy. Prominent among them was the Hon. Timothy O. Howe, of 
(ireen Bay, an able lawyer, and fearless in the defense of his opinions. He wrote 
against the heresy and spoke against it at every opportunity, and secured a follow- 
ing which, if not noisy, grew in numbers, as the clouds of secession and war became 
more dense along the Southern horizon. A series of letters from his pen were 
published in a newspaper at Oshkosh, for a time almost the only Republican news- 
l)aper in the State which openly defended and advocated his views. In 1857, 
Judge Howe had been the most prominent candidate for the United States 
.Senate, but the extreme State Rights theorists controlled the Republican party 
in the Legislature, and he was defeated in caucus. In 1859 the Legislature had 
adopted resolutions modeled largely upon the celebrated Kentucky resolutions of 
1798 and 1799. A senator was to be chosen in 1861, and it was well understood 
that Judge Howe would be again a candidate. Mr. Sawyer was friendly to Judge 
llowe. His clear-headed common sense did not need legal learning to show him 
that the party had got upon untenable ground from which it could get off better by 
the election of Judge Howe as Senator than in any other way. He, at least, could 
stand up ct^nsistently in the Senate against the heresies of nullification and secession. 

But Judge Howe was not to be elected, even in 1861, when the war cloud was 
about to break, without a struggle. It is hard for men who have been following 
leaders to break away from them, and it is difficult to induce men to admit, even 
indirectly, that they have been fanatically wrong-headed. 

Judge Howe was elected, and represented the State ably and tailhfull>- eighteen 
years, being re-elected twice without even the formality of a caucus noinination. 

That he was elected the first time was conceded to be due more to the efforts 
and inlluence of Mr. Sawyer than those of any other member of that Legislature. 



l6 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



Aside from the election of a Senator, the session was an exciting one. The 
State was to be placed in an attitude to render prompt aid to the Federal Govern- 
ment, in case of need, and the discussions and debates upon the measures adopted 
for that purpose were long and sharp. Mr. Sawyer is not a speech maker, and took 
no part in the debates. But as what is sometimes (in the West) called a "single- 
handed talker," there are few men so successful in convincing the judgment, and 
influencing the action of other men, and in the work of the session he bore his full 
part to the satisfaction of his constituents, and with the effect of greatly extending 
his own reputation. He became known throughout the State as a man qualified by 
his indomitable energy, untiring industry, quick perception, candor and personal 
bearing, to wield a large influence as a representative of the people. 

That men should begin to think and talk of his qualifications for a more ex- 
alted position, was as inevitable as the course of nature, and in 1862 he was strongly 
solicited to become a candidate for the Republican nomination for Representa- 
tive in Congress. But by the purchase of the interest of his partner, Mr. Brand, in 
their business, he assumed obligations which in his judgment required his close 
personal attention to his private business, and he declined to permit such use of his 
name. The Congressional District was, at the best, a close and doubtful one, and 
the Democratic party elected its candidate by about a thousand majority. 

In 1863 and 1864 he was elected and served as Mayor of the city of Oshkosh. 
In 1864 he was given, by the unanimous vote of the Common Council of the city, 
full power and unlimited discretion, to compromise and settle a bonded indebted- 
ness of the city of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, upon bonds issued years 
before for railroad purposes. He succeeded in compromising nearly the whole 
amount upon terms so favorable as to give general satisfaction. 

His service as Mayor was in the most trj'ing period of the Civil war. The re- 
peated calls for troops, and the conscription acts led everywhere to the most 
strenuous exertions to fill the local quota w'ith volunteers. In the hurry and con- 
fusion caused by the simultaneous enlistment everywhere, and enrollment of men 
induced by large bounties, for places where they did not reside, the strictest care 
and diligence were required to secure the proper credits. Much confusion arose 
at one time, from the fact that there was a town of Oshkosh as well as the city of 
that name, each having a quota to fill. In this work Mr. Sawyer was active, dili- 
gent and successful. 

The private reasons which in 1862 had induced Mr. Sawyer to refuse to be con- 
sidered as a candidate for Congressional honors were less imperative in 1864. His 
business had prospered, and he stood financially among the solid business men of 
the State. His son — trained in his father's business and business methods, older in 
ideas and habits than in years, and in every way worthy of the confidence which 
was placed in him — had become his partner in business. Mr. Sawyer could now 
spare time for public affairs without serious detriment to his own. Senator Howe, 
especially, desired the presence of Mr. Sawyer in the House of Representatives. 
Of course, no man is ever nominated the first time for such a position without op- 
position. But before the nominating convention met, it was apparent that he would 
be its choice. 



KEPRESKXTATIVK MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 1 7 

The candidate of the Democratic party was a man of ability and conceded in- 
tegrity, and of personal popularity. Two years previously that party had carried 
the district by about a thousand majority. Probably the increased confidence in 
the ultimate suppression of the rebellion after the success of the National forces at 
Gettysburg, Vicksburg and other points, in that district, as elsewhere, strengthened 
the Republican cause, but the majority of about three thousand by which Mr. Saw- 
yer was elected would, under the circumstances, have been impossible with a can- 
didate who had not the full confidence of the people. 

On the first Monday of December, 1865, Mr. Sawyer took his seat as a member 
of the Thirty-ninth Congress. 

The period between his election in November, 1864, and the opening of that 
session had been prolific of important events. Armed rebellion had been crushed 
out. The President, whose unwearied patience, untiring zeal and care, and un- 
swerving confidence in the ultimate triumph of the right, had steadied the helm of 
the nation through four years of storm and peril, had gone down I)y the bullet of 
the assassin, and left a name and fame to rank forever with, or next to, that of the 
P"ather of his Country. 

\Mce-president Johnson had entered upon the office of president, apparently in 
the spirit of Saul of Tarsus, "breathing out threatening and slaughter;" but at the 
head of the cabinet was the most magnanimous statesman of the country, free from 
all passionate emotions himself, and full of confidence in the aggregate common sense 
and right motives of men. Mr. Seward evidently believed that the leaders of a whole 
people, whose political life for a generation had been governed bj' passion, im- 
prudence and ingratitude, would suddenly, under the smart of humiliating defeat, 
become dispassionate, prudent and grateful, if relieved from the fear of the penal- 
ties of treason. 

-So the Congress in which Mr. Sawyer appeared for the first time was confronted 
on the threshold with the great problems of reconstruction, with the evidence full 
and complete, that justice toward millions of a race who were emphatically the 
wards of the nation, whom it was bound by every moral and political consideration 
to protect, could be secured only, if at all, by the exercise of the highest wisdom 
and all the constitutional power of the government. 

Other problemsof vast importance were in the near future. The national finances 
and currency, the great changes in the industries of the country consequent upon 
the close of the war, the conditions in our neighbor, Mexico, the debt of gratitude to 
the soldiers of the war, to be at least recognized in the pension laws — there was 
work ^ough not only for the loftiest statesmanship, but for men of clear-headed 
business qualifications and financial skill and sagacity. 

This is not the place to write the history of legislation during the ten years that 
Mr. Sawyer sat in the House of Representatives. The history of his connection 
with it would be, if fully written out, but a dry and tedious detail of constant work 
in committee rooms, and personal work among his fellows and the departments of 
the government. 

Hon. James G. Blaine, who first met Mr. Sawyer at this time, speaking of the 
new members of the Thirty-ninth Congress, in his "Twenty Years of Congress," 



10 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

says i)f liim: "It is easy to supply supcrhitiNcs in c'uloLiy ot popular favorites; but in 
motiest phrases Mr. Sawyer deserves to be ranketl among the best of men — honest, 
industrious, ijenerous, true to every tie and to every obliji^ation of life. He 
remained ten years in the House with ronstantly increasing influence, and was after- 
ward promoted to the Senate." 

Mr. Blaine's estimate of his character, true as it is, does not explain the whole 
reason for the "constantly increasing influence" which he mentions, — the reason 
why Mr. Sawyer became as he did, the trusted counselor ami adviser of men, who 
filled a large place in the public estimation as leader and statesman, and why, at 
the same time, he increased in inlUuMice and in the confidence of his constituents 
and the people of his State. 

It has never been the habit of the people of the XiMthern Slates to continue 
their representative for long periods in the House of Representatives. The patri- 
otic men of equal ability and willingness to serve are too numerous. Here and 
there one of e.xceptional talents and brilliancy (like Mr. Blaine) may be returned 
term after term for a long period. But the rule is, and always has been, one of 
rotation, and the case of Mr. Sawyer stands as the out; almost, or quite, unique 
exception to the rule. 

His service in the House was during a period when exciting questions, — ques- 
tions in wdiich moral as well as economic ideas were involved, were most prominent. 
During the sessions, the great newspapers spread daily before their readers the 
speeches of the recognized leaders of opinion. Debates upon the important and 
exciting subjects for legislative action, were sought for and read with earnest 
axidity. 

In thes(> Mr. .Sawyer's name did not appear. Xow and tlu-n apju-ared brief 
mention that Mr. Sawyer reported a bill from some committee, — perchance that he 
asked, and was granted, a suspension of the rules, for the passage of a bill from the 
committee on commerce, or some other; that was all. It was known that he never 
made speeches. But if any measure reportetl b\- him was questioned and needed 
defense beyond a simple explanation (which was not often) there were always those 
ready and fluent and able to assist him. And all the time his influence in the 
House and at home was "a constantly increasing influence." 

During his third term in iS6q, he intended, and announced his intention, to 
retire at its close. The announcement gave pleasure only to a few aspirants for the 
place, and the Democratic party in his district. He was induced by the earnest 
protest of influential friends to consent to further service in the House. At the end 
of his fifth term, after ten years of continuous service, he retired, steadily refusing 
to stand as a candidate for another term. 

A parallel to such a ten-years career in the House of Representatives is not 
easy to find. To account for it, we must add to the qualities mentioned by Mr. 
Blaine that uncommon degree of common sense which amounted in reality to pro- 
found sagacity, not alone in matters of business and finance, but iit political man- 
agement; a genial manneir which made personal friends even of political enemies, 
and a remarkable faculty of persuading and convincing others of the correctness of 
his conclusions. 



REI'KESENTATIVK MEN OK THE I'NITKD STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. IQ 

When Mr. S;i\v\x"r ciitcnHl ("()n<rrcss his district was an fxtcnsixe and p^ijulous 
onr, witli a liw^^r water front t)n Lake Michii^ran and (ircen Bay, and was intersected 
l)y tile na\iL;al>le !'"o.\ and W'oll rivers. 

Ihe improxcnient of the harbors and water-ways in the district was important 
for its a^ricuUural and rapidly ^rowinj^ manufacturing^ interests, which depended 
upon water communication much more than at the present time. 

In the Fortieth Congress (his second term) he secured a place on the Com- 
mittee on Commerce, which was deemed one of the most important committees. 
Durinij his first term he had secured fairly liberal appropriations for the rivers and 
harl)ors of his district, and a place on this committee was especially desired by him 
for the interests of his constituents. His services on the committee had been such, 
and the changes in the House were such, that when the Forty-first Congress assem- 
bled Mr. Sawyer might have aspired to the chairmanship of that committee, but the 
speaker (Mr. Hlaine), after consultation with Mr. Sawyer and with his ready con- 
sent, appointed Mr. Dixon of Rhode Island, chairman, and Mr. Sawyer second on 
the committee. Mr. Dixon was soon taken sick and was absent most of the time, 
and left Mr. Sawyer the acting chairman during the term. 

When the Forty-second Congress met on the 4th of March, 187 1, the right of 
Mr. Sawyer to the first place on the committee was conceded. Without his consent 
the speaker would not consider any other man for the place. Mr. Shellabarger, of 
Ohio, who had been an able and influential member several terms, had not been a 
member of the I'orty-first Congress, but was returned to the House in 1871. He 
had taken a very able and distinguished part in the debates of the Thirty-ninth 
Congress on the President's reconstruction policy, and had a national reputation as 
one of the leaders of the Republican party. It was insisted by his friends that 
he be given a prominent place. Mr. Sawyer's usual magnanimity came to 
the rescue of the speaker. He advised the appointment of Mr. Shellabarger as 
chairman of the Committee on Commerce and took the second place. Mr. Shella- 
barger was in poor health and physically unable to do committee work, and, again, 
during nearly the whole term, Mr. Sawyer was the acting chairman of the commit- 
tee, of which another man figured as chairman in the Record. Mr. Shellabarger 
sent his resignation to the committee, but, on Mr. Sawyer's motion, it was not ac- 
cepted. If it had been, it would have left Mr. Sawyer chairman. 

While so acting at every session, it became his duty to report and take charge, 
in the House, of the river and harbor approi)riation bills. These bills had usually 
been the subject of much criticism and discussion in committee of the whole, and 
the chairman of the c(jmmittee usually had many questions and objections to 
answ&r. Sometimes the bills had to be laid over and their passage imperiled by 
the pressure of other matters. 

Mr. Sawyer's bills were prepared with great care and labor. The items were 
scrutinized closely by his committee before they were admitted, and when reported, 
lie desired to see them through. In uS/i he adopted an experiment which had 
never been tried with such a Ijill. He knew that he had the confidence of the 
House, not only in his integrity, but in his industry and judgment. With his printed 
bill and report he made his explanations in advance to such members as he deemed 



HlOGKAl'IllCAI, DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 



it lU'ci'ssary, and ujion a fa\()i"al)lc (ii)|)()rtiinily he arost' and inoxcd lliat tlic rides 
be susix'iidcd and the Rixcf and 1 larhor l)ill taken from the general tde and 
passed. 

"What (U)es that gray-headed old fool think he can do? He can't jret twenty- 
five votes for his motion," said Mr. Beck of Kentncky, to a Wisconsin Democratic 
member. Upon the call of the roll, htnvever, the motion was carrii-d by a vote of 
nearly three-fourths of the House. 

A new departure like this upon a bill a|)propriatini,f six or seven millions of 
dollars, and consistin<f of a <j;reat number of items, is conclusive e\ idence of his 
intluence amonjr his fellow-members, and their confidence in him. 

When the l'"orty-thir(i Congress assembled in 1873, the magnanimity of Mr. 
Sawyer was subjected to a test more severe than ever before. He had served si.\ 
years on the Committee on Commerce. l"'or four he had performed successfully 
and satisfactorily the duties of chairman of that committee. It was one of the hon- 
orable positions in the House which was coveted by able and aspiring men. By 
right of his services and the usage which was almost unbroken, he was entitled to 
be named as chairman. 1 le had resolved to leave the House at the close of that 
term, and desired ami exptcted the honor as well as labor of the position for that 
last term. To retire without it might seem almost a slur upt)n his staniling as an 
old member. 

In making up the list of committees to be announced, theSi:)eaker (Mr. Blaine) 
placed his name first on the Committee on Commerce without solicitation and as a 
matter of course and of right. Before the list was completed an exigency arose 
which for the time threatened seriously to embarrass the Speaker and endanger 
the harmony of the Republican party in the House. The friends of Hon. Wm. A. 
WMieeler of New York (afterward Vice-President), demanded for him a prominent 
position. Twenty-three Republican rc])resentatives from New York united in 
demanding the chairmanship which by right and usage belonged to Mr. Sawyer. 
Such a demand from the greatest commercial .State was ominous. Mr. Blaine 
would not yield to it without Mr. Sawyer's consent. The situation was critical — 
friction and ill-feeling was likely to result — aiul Mr. Sawyer saw in it the danger 
that not only the Speaker's intluence but his own, might be impaired by the feeling 
that would follow. Magnanimity had added to his intluence before. After full 
reflection he went to the speaker and consenteil to take his old place as second on 
the committee, ai\il that Mr. Wheeler should be api)ointed as chairman. 

Meeting Mr. Wheeler soon after, Mr. Sawyer told him that he would be so 
appointed. 

"Mr. -Sawyer, I will not accejjt it, " said he, " it belongs to you." 

" But it is with my consent, " he replied. 

The men clasped hands and Mr. Wheeler and his friends were hereafter fast 
friends ot Mr. -Sawyer. Mr. Blaine was relie\ed iroin a p.iinlul and embarassing 
l)osilion. 

It is not strange, therefore that Mr. Blaine should think that he deserved " to 
lie rankeil among the best of men. " In a letter to Mr. .Sawyer (which was published 
at the timet he sui)plied tull\ the "' supc-rlatixx-s ' which his book omits in eulogy 



RKl'kliSKNTATIVl': MKN Ol" rill'. I'Nn'Kl) STATES; WISCONSIN VOl.UMK. 21 

and praise of Mr. Sawyer's character and niaj^nanimous conduct. Many wondered 
liow Mr. Sawyer, who made no speeches, acquired so niuih innuence in Coni^ress 
'!"() lliose \\lio ha\i' known liini inlinialcly the reasons wrvr (ilixious. 

Mr. Sawyer hekl his lornier jjosition ami was ]jhicecl at tlie heat! uf tlie Com- 
mittee on Pacific Railroads. With the woric of those two committees on his hands 
and tile numerous wants of his constituents to look after he was a busy man. 

With every new administration the army of office-seekers, which never needs a 
draft to replenish it, advanced upon the nationl capital and he could no more escape 
the pressure than others. I lis heavy correspontlence was alwaysexamined, and every 
letter was answered that required it. 

I'aithful and attentive as he was to his duties as a lej^islator, he found or matle 
time to look after the interest of the humblest of his constituents, who needed his 
aid. His district had furnished its full quota of men for the army, and the claims 
for back pay, bounty and pensions were numerous. When such claims became en- 
tan^rlcd in the red tape of some bureau, or suspended for want of some required 
affidavit, impossible to obtain, it was only necessary to satisfy him that the claim 
was just to secure his energetic assistance. He became a familiar personage in the 
(leiKirtments, where he inspired the same confidence as among his colleagues in 
tile house. Thus he was enabled to assist many a disabled soldier, many a poor 
widow and many an orphan child successfully. 

.So he voluntarily retired from Congress after ten years of hard work, honored, 
respected and esteemetl by those whom he had served, and those who had been in 
public service with him, and with a reputation, unassailed by any breath of culumny, 
which might be fairly termed a national reputation. 

A frank and generous demeanor toward his fellow members of all jjarties, which 
was a part of his nature, doubtless had much infiuence upon his popularity among 
them. On three occasions when he had drawn seats among the best in the House, 
lu; had voluntarily exchanged them with members who had been less fortunate. 
Once he had done this with Oen. Halbert E. Paine, of Milwaukee, who had lost a 
leg at Port Hudson. Once he had done so with (ien. Ciarfield, who, as one of the 
leading debaters, needed a seat near the speaker's chair. .Such acts of courtesy 
antl kindness are not forgotten by such men. 

With the members of the oth(;r party he was genial and friendly and his meas- 
ures received no ojjposition from them because of political diiferences. Beck, of 
Kentucky, and he had a jolly laugh together over iiis tlrst success in jxissing a 
River and Harbor bill under a suspension of tlie rules. Mr. Hlaine truly classed 
him as a i>()i)ular favorite. 

On the 4th of March, 1875, Mr. .Sawyer voluntarily assumed the role of private 
( itizeir, with a feeling of relief. He had been emphatically a tiwrkiujr member of 
Congress for ten years, and his share of the work l>eing so largely of the kind which 
required constant investigation of facts and study of details, was perhaps growing 
irksome in some degree. Whateverof honor and distinction ifcould confer, he had 
attained. He could count many friends among the highest and most honored in 
the land. His private affairs had continued prosperous, and his age — then fifty- 
nine would have justified him in retiring from active pursuits, had he desired it. 
Hut activity was a part of liis nature. 



22 HIOCRAPIIICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

In 1876 the West Wisconsin Railroad running from Tomah to Hudson, Wiscon- 
sin, was financially embarassed and mortgages on it were foreclosed. 

Mr. Sawyer, with some New York and Chicago capitalists formed a syndicate 
and purchased it. The old bondholders were fairly treated. They were offered 
the option of fifty per cent, of their bonds in cash, or their face in new bonds, one- 
half secured by mortgage on the road and one-half by mortgage on a land grant 
which had been made to it years before; some took the cash, more came in and 
took the new bonds, which subsequently became worth a premium. Some refused to 
do either, and, after a full report and contested accounting in open court, received 
what the accounting confirmed by the court gave — about twenty-six per cent, of the 
par value of their bonds. 

The reorganized corporation purchased the North Wisconsin Railway, of which 
he was made president. They afterward acquired the St. Paul and Sioux City lines 
and connected four weak and struggling corporations into one strong one, known 
as the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneaplis & Omaha Railroad Company. 

Of this company Mr. Sawyer was vice-president and a director and a member 
of the executive committee until 1880, when he severed his connection with it and 
prepared to make a trip to Europe with his- family. 

An incident connected with the purchase of the North Wisconsin railway by 
Mr. Sawyer and his associates, illustrates the same generosity of character which 
marked his dealings in his private business. The new organization, of which he 
was president, had purchased the bonds of the old corporation with five years un- 
paid interest coupons attached, for fifty per cent, of the principal. Of course the 
stock of the old company was valueless. 

The town of New Richmond, St. Croix county, Wisconsin, had issued its bonds 
for $12,500 to aid in the construction of the railroad, and exchanged them for stock 
in the company. Two other towns had taken $6,500 each of the stock in exchange 
for their town bonds The three towns thus held $25,000 of worthless stock and 
were indebted to that amount on their bonds. 

Mr. Sawyer, who owned one-fourth of the stock in the new corporation, submit- 
ted to the board of directors the proposition to purchase the bonds of those towns 
and surrender them in exchange for the stock in the old company held by the towns. 

Through his influence the directors authorized him to make the purchase and 
exchange. The towns were solvent, and, at nearly their par value, he purchased the 
town bonds and surrendered them to the towns, thus relieving them from an indebt- 
edness which was, at the best, a heavy burthen for those sparsely settled towns, in a 
backwoods region, to carry. 

In the construction or reorganization of railroads, such an instance stands 
unique and alone. No legal obligations existed — no moral obligation, as moral obli- 
gations are usually understood. But Mr. Sawyer believed that with proper manage- 
ment the railroad could be made a good investment (as it proved to be), and with 
a magnanimity which few would have shown under the circumstances, resolved to 
relieve the people of thcfse towns from this burthen. 

When Mr. Sawyer retired from the House of Representatives he did not ex- 
pect to re-enter public life — certainly not in the capacity of a legislator. 



RKI'RKSKNI ATIVK MKN OF THE UNnKI) STATKS; WISCONSIN VOl.UMK. 23 

The term of Hon. Anijus Cameron as United States Senator was to expire 
Marcli 4, 18S1. It was understood that Mr. Cameron would not be a candidate for 
re-election. Early in 1880 many of Mr. Sawyer's friends and leading Republicans 
in the State began to solicit him to become a candidate for the place. As spring 
advanced into summer, the solicitations became stronger, and he began to be gener- 
ally talked of as a candidate. He had done nothing, excepting urge objections 
l)ri\atel\- to his friends. He had resolved in his own mind that he did not desire to 
be Senator. The time for departure for Europe was aproaching, even passage en- 
gaged from New York for himself and family. His intention was to write a letter 
from Xew York declining to be a candidate, and then sail away, beyond the reach 
of further solicitations. In this frame of mind he was at Milwaukee one day, and 
learned that somebody — some candidate or friend of some canditate — had publicly 
made some derogatory remarks — uttered some boast, that, if a candidate, he was 
already beaten; intimated that his influence among the people was on the wane. 
Then leading influential men of his party beset him again, when, perhaps, the re- 
port he had heard was rankling in his mind. There is no man, who has for along 
time filled a large place in the public confidence, who is not sensitive if its continu- 
ance is openly questioned by those with whom the wish is father to the thought. He 
yielded, and, instead of returning home as he intended, went to Chicago to see his 
son-in-law, Mr. \Vm. O. Goodman. 

" Will, " said he, "the family are going to Europe in a few days. Your wife is 
going. You or I must go with them; and 1 am not going. " 

The law provides for the election of United States Senators by the .State legis- 
lature. The custom has long ago become part of the unwritten law, that members 
of a State legislature, of a predominant party, are nominated in local conventions, 
largely upon the issues between rival candidates for the Senate, when a Senator is 
to be chosen. 

When the Wisconsin legislatureof 1881 met, and the Repul)lican members assem- 
bled in caucus to agree upon a candidate, Mr. Sawyer was found to be the choice of 
a large majority, and, in January, he was elected Senator for six years from March 
4, 1881, and in January, 1887, he was re-elected without opposition in his own party. 

Mr. Sawyer took his seat as Senator in the Forty-seventh Congress. He had 
been six years in private life, but he met, in both Senate and House of Representa- 
tives, many of his former friends and colleagues. In that Congress he was chair- 
man of a select committee to examine the several branches of the civil service. 

In the Forty-eighth and P'orty-ninth Congresses he waschairman of the commit- 
tee on railroads of the Senate and also served on the committee on post offices and 
post roads. He was offered a place on the committee on commerce in the Forty- 
eighth Congress, but the Senators from the Pacific coast desiring a representative 
on that committee he gave w-ay for Senator Dolph, of Oregon. 

In the Fiftieth Congress he was appointed chairman of the committee on 
post offices and post roads, which position he also held in the Fifty-first Congress. 

Of the committee on pensions he was an active member from March, 1886, 
W'hen he was appointed on it in place of Senator Mitchell, the chairman, who was 
sick, and did not return to do any work in that Congress. Senator Blair, of New 
Hampshire, acted as ciiainnan during that time. 



i:U)C.K AI'MUM IMt'lHINAin .WD I'OKIKAll C.AMl'UV OV I'lIK 



l'".\('r since the w.ir. tin- polics ol llic lm>\ crninciil when controlled liy the 
R('puliiic;iiis lowaril those who were in .m\ (leL;i-ee disaliled In the militai\ ser- 
vice, and their widows and orjihan children, lias lieen a lilier.d one, and the |>ension 
list has retiuired lartje appropriations. Doubtless, ihroui^li frandnlent and careU'ss 
testinuMU, pensions were sonieliines -granted thai were not deser\ ed, ,ind ,is tinu' 
pass<'d and the nie.ms o( procnrini; evidence sIrictK within .dl the lules of the pen- 
sion laws liecune moie ditlicult, some defects were o\crlooked in what upon the 
whole ai'pe.ired to he deser\ ini; cases. Thai the L^tn ernuu-nt w.is sonuiinies 
del'r.iuiled is douhtU-ss true, ll is also douiilless liaie th.it in nian> desi'rxiiiL; cases 
it was inipossiiile \o procure e\ idence upon which the ex.uniniui; ollicers could ,dlow 
.in\ jiension. riiei'efore private pensitMi lulls h.ive often lieen passed \-i\ C'oiiiiress. 

I 'ndei' the Inst .idu\inist r.it ion ol I'resident (level. ind it is s. lid th, it much more 
.strict ptool W.IS required ,il the pension ollice. it vv.is not very straiiue th.it it should 
he so, il true. It w.is no! sli.inueil' iilTicers and e\.iminin,L;" surgeons were sometimes 
appointed whose sv inpathies wen- not active in l.ivor ol the war, or ol the men who 
siit'i'ered in it. W illuuit (HK'StiouiiiL; the motives or inte^iitv of either those men or 
llieir predei'essors, it is not ditlicult to underst.iiui whv tlu' propoiaion o( vvicvlrd 
cl.iims to those allowed vv.is consider. ihlv incre.ised, .iiul the iiriv.itt- pension hills in 
(."oiii^ress coiTOspondius^'ly increaseil. 

In the l'"(MM>'-iiinth CtMiL^ress, as a memliei- ol the committee on pensions he 
e\,iniiiied ,i l.ir^e numlter of I'l.iims for pension hills, .iiul repinteil them in the .'-^en- 
.ite. Ke.iders of the newspapers at tli.it time will peih.ips recollect .1 semi-I.U'et ions 
article in rel.ition (o ,'^enator Sa\v\er's pension hure.iu. A reportei- one d.iy vv.ilked 
\i\lo his coinmitti-e i\>oin, aiui seeiii>;- Seii.itor ."^.iwvi'r aiut others with three or four 
cli-rks en^aLjed with a lat\>iv pile of lioiumeiits, iiLikinsr abstracts or hriels of their 
contents, iiuiuired what was heinij: done. The .'-^eii.itor jocularK rejilied that tlie\ 
were nmniuii a pension Inireau. and the luii^ht reporter c.iui^ht .it .1 topic lor .m 
article which vv.is vv idelv cojued ami re. id. 

It VV.IS not mere form.il or routine work, how ev er. nor w.is it lelt to tlu' juil>>"- 
menl of clerks, ."-ien.iior .S.iw v er ex.imined t he .ihst r.icl ol ev crv c.ise he reported. 
M.in\ cases in which the judumeiit ol .111 experienced ph\sician ami sin\;eon was 
required uuul there were ni.iin of them* were t.iken to his resiilenct\ Or. W'.iller 
Kempsler, .1 scientilic .lud le.iri.ied iilnsician, vv.is .itleiidiiii;- upon Mrs. Savvvi'r. who 
W.IS then .111 iiiv.did. .iiul together lhe\ went throui^h .iiid ex.imiiu-d si'ores of such 
cases in the hours which .ire nsu.illv devoted to soci.il life in Washing-ton. 

Ofiourse m.iuv c.ises were ex.imiiied .iiul rejected, InU Mr. Sawyer reported 
over , I thousand such hills, which p,l'^sed the Sen.ite in th.it Con^uress. Some of 
them f.iileil in the 1 lousi' of Kepreseui.il iv es for w.iiit of lime. Several were vetoeil 
l>y the president upon iiilonnatii>n. it was saiil, that was turnisheil from the pension 
oftice some of them in messajivs couched in langua.ii'e not in harmony with the 
visual calnV aiul dinnitied st\le of President CMeveland's State papers. It would not 
he siirprisiiis.: if there were it would 1h> siirprisinii- if there were not some niis- 
taki's m.ule in such a ni^^ss ot such work. 

It w.is si.ited (fiH>m actual comput.ition, it vv.is s.iid* that Mr. Saw\er repiMted 
from his committees . I ^re.lt^•r iiumher ol ImIK in tlu' I'orty-ninth C"onj;'ri'ss than 



RKrKKSKNI'ATIVF MKN OK TllK UNITKO STATKS; WISCONSIN VOI.UMK. 25 



were cv IT i-fi)()inc(l liy any nilicr Scii.ilor ol ihc Uiiilcd Stales in his whole Sena lor- 
ial carecT, h()wc\'C'r loiijj;; and ihr l)ills rcportutl by liiniwcre nol often (|nestioiieil. 
A colloquy one day with Senator Beck, of Kentucky (who had served with him in 
the lower I louse) illustrates the confidence which his character inspired. 

Ill the lirst session of the l*"orty-ninth C"on^r(!Ss {Coii<;;i'cssiona! Record, vol. 17, p. 
|.77,i. May ji, 1886), when a larj^e number of private pension bills were beinfi^ acted 
upon, some (juestion was rais<.!d as to one of them. Senator Hlair, of New Hamp- 
shire, who was the actiiiji." chairnian ol the pension committi'e, had the floor; Senator 
Heck was seeking; information in rei;ard to the bill, and .Senator lilair's replies 
iiulicatecl that he was not well prepared to \i\\v it. The reading of the report of 
the committee was supf<jested, and the foIlowiiiL;' collotiuy occurred: 

Mr. Heck. "Will the senator adxise me who knows anythiiif^ about it?" 

Mr. Blair. "The senator who has rejjorted the bill." 

Mr. Beck. — "By what senator was the bill rejjorted?" 

Mr. Blair. -"The senator from Wisconsin." Mr. Sawyer. 

Mr. Sawyer. — "I reportetl the bill. 1 think it is a just bill. I could not ^ive 
details without calliiifj^ for the readinjf of the report." 

Mr. Beck. "I am entirely content with any statement the senator from Wis- 
consin will make." 

Mr. Sawyer. "I ha\c not reijorted a simple case to the Senate thai I do not 
l)elie\'e is a just c'ase." 

Mr. Beck. "There is no man in the .Senate whose word I would sooner take." 

Mr. Sawyer. "I have examined, personally, every one I liave reported." 

Mr. Beck. "This is the first moment ! ever heard that the .senator from Wis- 
consin knew anything' about it. I he c hainnaii ol the committee knew nothing 
of it." 

Mr. I)lair. "The senator is (|uile mistaken." 

Mr. Beck. "1 tlo not call for the reading of the report, when the scMiator from 
Wisconsin advises me that he has e.xamined tiie case and it is all riji^ht." 

That kind of confidence is not jfiven to members of ("on^rress l)y liolitical oppo- 
nents without ^ood reason. 

The private and domestic life of .Senator Sawyer was a sinj^ularly happy life 
until disease laid its hand ui)on the faithful i)artner of his clays of humble effort and 
of eminent success. On the Jist day of May, 1888, -forty-seven years after their mar- 
riage, -Mrs. Sawyer died, after a lingering, progressive illness of several years; and 
this sketch would be incomplete without a pa.ssing tribute to the memory of a 
w^oman who lives in the hearts and grateful memory of the humble poor, as well as 
the moTe prosperous rich. A nature always kind and benevolent made her from 
their early days the willing almoner of her husband's bounties. With sympathetic 
and unostentatious charity she gave with a liberal and generous hand, to ameliorate 
the sufferings and relieve the necessities of tiie unfortunate, and always without 
any air of patronizing condescension to blunt tluir sense of gratituile, or disjilay to 
call attention to thc.'ir wants or her own benevoUnice; and always with the knowledge 
that her own good judgnu-nt and wise discretion were the only measure and limita- 
tion of her charities whit h h<- would re(|uire. And when she was stricken witli dis- 



lUOCUAI'llUAl. DU'IIONAKV ANH l'( )K1RAII' C Al.l.K K\' (IK llIK 



ease there were many sorrowing hearts; anti when shedit-d there were many sincere 
mourners besides those of her own kindred and household, and among many who 
hail never needed her charity also; for of both her and her husband it should be 
said the friends of their younger days who were less fortunate continued the friends 
of their days of prosperity; and the genial hospitality of their house was as unosten- 
tatious as her charities, and as cordial and unaffected when surrounded with the 
elegancies and luxuries of life as when dispensed amid more humble surroundings. 
When Mrs. Sawyer died, a good woman — a lady in the best sense, by every impidse 
ol her nature — passed from earth. 

They buried an infant son soon after tlu'> moved to Wisconsin, ami a few years 
later an infant daughter. Beside his son and partner, Mr. lidgar P. Sawyer, Senator 
Sawyer has two daughters living — Mrs. Howard G. White, of Syracuse, New York, 
and Mrs. W. O. Goodman, of Chicago, Illinois. l"or the benefit of each of these 
children he made investments some years ago which would secure to each a com- 
fortable and ample income beyond contingencies. 

Mr. Sawyer's liberality as a citizen has been conspicuous in many ways. As 
Maxor of the city of Oshkosh during two years of the Civil war, his e.xpenditure 
of both money and time in the effort to fill the quota of the city to avoid the con- 
scrii)tion was large, and no claim was made for any reimbursement. Churches 
innumerable, and educational institutions in his State, have often been the recipients 
of liberal contributions to their necessities or impri)vements. The Y. M. C. A. 
of Oshkosh, is indebted to his bounty for their ability to secure a large and com- 
modious business block in the heart of the city. Generosity to deserving objects 
has marked his career trom the beginning. CjI':orc,e Gary. 



HON. JAMES R. UOOLlTTLi:, 



JAMHS R. DOOLITTLE was born tluring the presiilenc\- of James Madison, 
the third successor to Washington. Living through the successive terms of the 
last twenty presidents; engaged in calling conventions, forming jiarties and writing 
platforms, when Blaine, Garfield and Cleveland were boys, he stands to-day, as 
law>er. jurist and statesman, at the ripe old age of seventy-nine, one of the few 
sur\ i\ ing links of our earliiT with our present national history. Ranked among 
the ablest lawyers in the forties, appointed Judge in the fifties, and elected Lhiited 
States Senator in the sixties, he holds an honored place in the history of this coun- 
try. .Active during two generations in making and administering the law, earnest 
in the development of the vast resources of the country, and enthusiastic in the de- 
fense of constitutional liberty. Judge Doolittle enjoys the honor, esteem and confi- 
dence of his fellow-countVymen. 

He was born January ;, 1815, at Hampton, Washington county, New York. 
His father, Reuben Doolittle, upon emigrating to Genesee county, in western New 



■<:sB '^^'^ 




RErRKSENrATINK MEN OK THE UNITED STATES", WISCONSIN VOLUME. 27 

York, became a farmer, mill owner and merchant, in prosperous circumstances. 
His mother, Sarah, ncc Rood, was an estimable lady who devoted herself to do- 
mestic duties and to the education of her children, and instilling into their minds 
the princijjles of honor and virtue. James R. was the eldest son in a family of four 
boys and two girls. After the usual preliminary education, he was sent to Geneva 
College, in western New York, and early began to show that ability which dis- 
tinguished him in after years. Gifted with a retentive memory and a clear under- 
standing, combined with a genius for hard work and diligent application, he easily 
led his class, and graduated with honors. 

Having chosen the law as a profession, he studied its theory and practice with 
the Hon. Harvey Putnam, at Attica, New York, and with the Hon. Isaac Hills, of 
Rochester, New York, and was admitted to practice by the Supreme Court of New 
York in 1837. It was not long before the young lawyer was recognized as one of 
the coming men of his profession. His thorough knowledge of the principles of 
common law and his facility in applying them, aided by an extensive and varied 
course of reading, a pleasing and musical voice and an easy and fluent delivery, 
marked him as one destined for certain and rapid preferment. 

About this time he removed to Warsaw, Wyoming county. New York, where 
his abilit}' was soon recognized and rewarded; and, although a Democrat, he w-as 
elected District Attorney by a Whig constituency. Having discharged the duties 
of that important office with satisfaction to the people and credit to himself, Mr. 
Doolittle, in 1851, went to Racine, Wisconsin, and there practiced his profession, 
and in a short time was ranked among the ablest lawyers of that State, and re- 
tained by Governor Farwell in cases involving the interests of the commonwealth 
and intricate questions of law. It is unnecessary to say that his practice became 
large and lucrative, and that experience developed the legal ability already 
recognized. 

In 1853 Mr. Doolittle was elected Judge of the I*"irst Judicial Circuit in Wiscon- 
sin. No higher or more pleasing tribute can be paid to a lawyer than his elevation 
to the bench. As such. Judge Doolittle accepted it and applied all his knowledge 
and experience to the discharge of his duties. In this case the office sought the 
man, and, what is more, sought the right man. For three years he discharged the 
important duties of his trust with ability, simplicity and dignity. He had the rare 
power of combining the "suaviter in modo, fortiter in re." When he resigned, in 
1856, he received the highest encomiums from the press, the people, and the pro- 
fession. No sooner had Judge Doolittle lai 1 down one honor than another was 
given to him. In January. 1857, the Legislature of Wisconsin elected him United 
States Senator, and re-elected him in 1863 to the same office. The period during 
which he was in the Senate was the most momentous since the founding of the Re- 
public, and may be divided into three epochs: ist. Before the war, when the ques- 
tion was the extension of slavery. 2d. During the war, the period of secession. 
3d. After the war, when the issue was reinstatement or reconstruction. Each of 
these periods was fraught with danger to the Republic, and grave responsibilities 
rested on the representatives of the people. In this crisis, the patriotism, ability 
and integrity of the young Senator soon became conspicuous. Grasping the situa- 



28 BIOGRAI'HICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 



tion with almost ])n)i)lu'tic intuitinn. he usrd tlu' wholf torcc of his o^reat intelli- 
{i[ence, the powerful influence of his classic eloquence, and supplemented both with 
the untarnished honor of his spotless character, in the endeavor to prevent the 
threatened disruption. When the endeavor to secure peace with honor failed, and 
the tocsin of civil war smote the ear with its invitation to deadly strife, he, like 
every patriotic citizen, accepted the challenge and devoted himself unsparingly to 
the preservation of the Union. Later, when the terrible struggle, involving the loss 
of liundreds of thousands of human lives, was over, came the period of reinstate- 
ment, when the great moral force and patriotic fire of Senator Doolittle was stimu- 
lated to rouse the country to the duty of the hour. His eloquent and forcible 
speeches of that time are historic evidence of his foresight and statesmanship. As 
a member of tlu- Committee of Thirteen, appointed by the Senate to devise a plan 
to prevent disrui)tion, he labored for that object with all his power of mind and 
body. When war ht'came inevitable he used liis whole strength to defeat the rebel 
arms. When the war was over, he, as a representative of the ixuiple, counseled 
moderation and reconstruction. Taking the constitution for his guide, and acting 
from sincere conviction, he strove then, as through his whole life, for the eternal 
principles of truth and justice. If Judge Doolittle were to publish his speeches, 
they would be read with eagerness as historic evidence on many subjects now in 
dispute. He was chairman of the joint committee appointed to inquire into the 
condition of the Indians in Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico. The published re- 
port of this committee is the most exhaustive and valuable that has ever been com- 
piled on the subject. 

It would be trespassing on the domain of history to recount here the calls to 
conventions written, the speeches delivered, the public men with whom he has 
worked, and the political issues he has originated or supported. It is only neces- 
sary to add that Judge Doolittle's life has been busy, honorable and useful; and, as 
expressed by a friend of his, "Like a clear, limpid stream, wherein you can see the 
form and color of the pebbles at the bottom, and through whose meandering course 
no sediment appears." 

judge Doolittle is a man of tine physical development. E\en now, at the age 
of nearly four-score, he is a man of powerful build, with pleasing and expressive 
features. His voice is still strong and sonorous. When a younger man he must have 
been trumpet-tongued. He had the "powers of speech that stir men's blood," and 
he retains that power still. The annexed portrait is a good likeness of the Judge 
at the present time (1894), and from it one may conjecture what he was half a cen- 
tury ago. Yet it is not alone the features, the voice or the figure that challenges 
attention, but there is a force of character that impresses, an influence that impels, 
and a magnetism that attracts. No man during the past fifty years has addressed 
larger masses of people, or has addressed, on political subjects, as many people. 
He is a master of the art of rhetoric. His language is clear, simple and graceful, 
and he leads his auditors through a long argiunentative path, decked with classic 
allusions, that, like flowers on the border of a stream, seem to be native there. 

He is ver\ happy in epigram, .\ftcr .Abraham Lincoln's second nomination for 
the presidency, a cabal was formed in his State with the hope of forcing him to 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 



retire. At a mass-meet inijj, where one of tlu- iliscontenls liad heen the hrst sjjeaker 
and had deUcately hinted at the desirability of Mr. Lincohi's retirement, Judjs'e 
Doohttle, who had Hstened with feeUngs more easily imagined than described, was 
called as the second speaker. There was a vast audience of probably twenty 
thousantl people, who listened to the previous speaker in ominous silence. The 
jud^e arose, and in slow, clear, solemn tones, and with his right hand raised to 
heaven, said: "Fellow-citizens: I believe in God Almighty, and, under him, 1 be- 
lieve in Abraham Lincoln." The spell was broken and the vast audience cheered 
for fully half an hour. No more was heard of the opposition to Mr. Lincoln. 

Ever since Judge Doolittle retired from the Senate in i86q, though retaining 
his homestead and citizenship in Wisconsin, he has been engaged in the practice 
of law in Chicago. His first partnership was with Mr. Jesse O. Norton, under the 
firm of Doolittle & Norton. After the great fire of October 8 and 9, 1871, he 
formed a partnership with his son, under the firm name o{ J. R. Doolittle & Son. 
In 1879 Mr. Henry McKey was admitted as a partner in the business, and the firm 
name became Doolittle & McKey. After the death of Mr. James R. Doolittle, Jr., 
which occurred in 1889, Mr. Edgar B. Tolnian became a member of the firm, and 
the firm name became Doolittle, McKey & Tolman. Mr. McKey died in January, 
1892, and John Mayo Palmer became associated with Senator Doolittle and Mr. 
Tolman, under the firm name of Doolittle, Palmer & Tolman. 

Judge Doolittle suffered one of the great afflictions of his lifetime in August, 
1889, when his son, James R., Jr., died. At the time of his death he was a member 
of the law firm of which his distinguished father is the head. He was an active 
member of the Chicago Board of Education, and devoted himself unsparingly to 
the interests of the city and suburban schools. He was a man of great ability as a 
lawyer, highly accomplished as a scholar, and his kindly, gentle nature endeared 
him to all. By his early death the bar of Cook county lost one of its prominent 
members, the School Board one of its most progressive and active members. 

After a pure, honorable and useful life, actuated by unselfish motives, prompted 
by patriotism and guided by truth and justice. Judge Doolittle may in old age rest 
in the assurance that the people of this country are not unmindful of those who 
have devoted themselves to their interests. "Palmam (lui meruit ferat." 



HON. HARLOW S. ORTON, LL. D., 



THE career of Hon. Harlow S. Orton, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of 
Wisconsin, illustrates most forcibly the power of patient perseverance and un- 
flagging industry. His record has been eventful. His early manhood was passed 
on the then western frontier in Indiana and Wisconsin, and a complete sketch of 
his life would be interwoven with a history of the latter commonwealth. He was 
born in Niagara county, New York, November 2,^, 1817. His father, Harlow N. 
Orton, M. 1)., was a native; of V<;rmont, and his mother, (irace Orton. >/ir Marsh, 



30 H1()(;KAI'111CA1, IiICTIONAKV AN1> I'DKIKAII' C.AI.IKKV ()!■ I'llK 

was born in Connecticut. His paternal ancestors migrated from Westmoreland 
county, England, to llu- colonies about the middle of the eighteenth century, and 
his maternal progenitors were of the early Puritan settlers of New England. Both 
branches of the family displayed commendable patriotism, and became so much 
enthused during the Revolutionary war that all available members were enlisted 
into the service. The records of the family show that the grandfathers of our sub- 
ject, who were both Baptist clergymen, shouldered muskets and fought for liberty 
aiul inde|)endence. justice Orton was educated first at the common schools, and 
later at the Hamilton Academy and Madison University. Upon leaving the uni- 
versity he accepted a position as school-teacher in Kentucky, and while engaged 
in that occupation, in 1837, began the study of law. At that time Kentucky and 
Indiana were both sparsely settled, and, as may be imagined, his early years in the 
West were lillcil with interestingand varied experiences. In November, 1837, he deter- 
mined to leave Kentucky and join his brother, who was practicing law in La Porte, 
Indiana. Railroads were unknown, and in some localities no roads of any kind had 
been cut through the timber. From Paris, Kentucky, to La Porte, in northern In- 
diana, the young man traveled on horseback. In 1838, in La Porte, justice Orton 
was admitted to the bar, and began to practice in the northern Indiana circuit. 
He was naturally endowed with a mind adapted to grasp the intricacies of the law, 
and was gifted with rhetorical powers which enabled him to plead logically, clearly 
and forcibly, and he soon was enabled to reach a high position for one of his age. 
During the summer and fall o{ 1S40 he became deeply interested in the political 
campaign then being conducted. He was enlisted into the service as a speaker, 
and during the canvass delivered some eighty speeches in the States of Pennsyl- 
vania, Maryland and Virginia, advocating the election of General Harrison to the 
Presidency. The political campaign of 1840 was one of the hardest-fought politi- 
cal battles of the Republic, and in the hottest of the fight, in the States most 
agitated, the young man fearlessly lifted his voice in the advocacy of what he 
thought was right. Erequentl)' the antagonistic feeling of the strong partisans 
could not find words powerful enough to show their loyalty, and often has he wit- 
nessed rough-and-tumble tights between the friends of the rival candidates. After 
the election in the fall of 1840 he returned to Indiana and resumed his practice, but 
in 1843 he was appointed Probate judge of Porter county, Indiana, by Governor 
Bigger. In 1847 he moved to Wisconsin Territory, and began practice in the Ter- 
ritorial courts in Milwaukee in that year; and in the following year, when the State 
courts were organized, commenced practice in the State and Pederal courts and in 
the Supreme Court in 1840. In 1851 he became prixate secretary of Governor bar- 
well, and moved to Madison, where he has since residetl. In Madison he soon 
commanded the esteem and tonfidence of his fellow-citizens, and in 1S54 he was 
honored bj- being elected to the Legislature. In 1859 he was elected judge of the 
Ninth judicial Circuit of Wisconsin, ami was re-elected without opposition. He 
resigned that office in 1866 and resumed his practice of the law, as counsel and in 
jury and Supreme Court cases in Madison. At the bar he ranked among the very 
highest, not onh" of his State, but of the entire Northwest, in much of the more 
important litigation of this section he appeared as either covnisel or advocate, and 



RErRESENTATlVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 31 

in all branches of the profession, either as counsel, court or jury lawyer, he had no 
superiors and but few peers. In 1869 he was again honored by an election to the 
Legislature, and was re-elected in 1871. In 1876 he was the candidate of his party 
for Representative to Congress, but owing to a large preponderance of Republi- 
cans in the district he was defeated. In the same year he was appointed to revise 
the criminal code. From 1869 to 1874 Justice Orton was Dean of the law faculty 
of the University of Wisconsin, and did much to place the law department of the 
university in a satisfactory condition. During his term of service as Dean of the 
law department, the degree of LL. D. was conferred upon him. In 1877 he was 
elected Mayor of Madison, and served one term. In 1878 he was elected a Justice 
of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, and was re-elected in 1888, both times without 
opposition. A complete record of Justice Orton's career on the Supreme Bench 
would of itself fill more than one volume the size of this publication, but in the 
Wisconsin reports, from volume No. 43 down to the present time, tlie impress of 
his legal mind and strong personality is indelibly stamped in the various decisions 
that he has written during a period covering sixteen years. Strong as he is in his 
political affiliations. Justice Orton has never identified himself with politics while 
on the bench, nor has he ever allowed his decisions to be in any way affected by 
partisan lines. Justice Orton possesses in a marked degree the four qualities which 
most benefit a judge — to hear courteously, to answer wisely, to consider soberly, 
and to give judgment without partiality. Justice Orton has always taken a deep 
interest in history, literature and art. He assisted in the organization of the Wis- 
consin Historical Society, and has been vice-president of that organization for 
many years, having declined its presidency. He has also been for a long time 
actively identified, as a member, with the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts 
and Letters. As a member of the Madison Business Club he uses his influence to 
advance the interests of the city, and passes many pleasant hours in social inter- 
course. January i, 1893, he became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Wis- 
consin, by seniority of service. Politically, Chief Justice Orton afiiliated with the 
Whig party until 1854. Since then he has been an independent Democrat. He 
was married in 1849, to Elizabeth Cheney, a native of Maryland. Four of their 
children, three sons and a daughter, are now living: O. B. Orton, the eldest, is a 
member of the Indiana bar, and is located at Indianapolis; O. II. Orton is a lawyer 
at Beloit; H. X. Orton, M. D., the youngest son, is a practicing physician of Min- 
neapolis; and the daughter, Ora, is now Mrs. Henry Coe, of Indianapolis, Indiana. 

It is in tracing the history of such a life as has been that of the subject of this 
review that biography e.xercises its legitimate and most important functions, and 
the Itfsson and incentive of such a career finds an enforcement as stated in words 
that offer but an outline of what has been accomplished, — calling attention to diffi- 
culties surmounted and noting the various steps which mark the line of progress 
from youthful obscurity to a position of prominence, honor and usefulness. 

In the life of the subject of this review comes forward in particular a point that 
demands appreciation: namely, that here has ambition directed its course along the 
lines which determine the true essence of manhood, as taken aside from injustice 
and a determination to succeed in a personal sense, regardless of the rights of 



•^2 lUOC.KAl'llClAl. DU TIONAKV AND roKrRAri' CAI l.KRV Ol' IIIK 

Others and at a sarrifirc of all si-ntimcnt saxclhal w hi( h coiisrrvrs si-llish ciuls. lie 
has i^viT licrii luoad in his iiu-nlalit\ and in his huniaii sympathies, and whati'Ncr 
In- has ai'coinplishrd in life has not Ix'cn ^ainrd li\ methods thai inlrin^i-d in the 
sliirhlcst partii iilar the liLjhts ol olluTs. 



HON. ISAAC STIU'IUlNSON, 

MARIM': irK. 

in the Inst liall' of the nineteenth eentur> the eondit ions of lite anions the people 
of the northeiii stati's of this eountr> weri' \i'r\- different from those now i-xistin^. 
l>ail\ toil, hread earned hy the swt-at of t heir inow liy unlliiu-hin^ api)lieation of 
the plusieal or mental faiadties, or both, from \()nth to a.ne has always heen the 
lot of the ureal majoritN. Hut the toilers in shops, on farms, or factories of to-da\- 
li\c in the daily enjoNinent of comforts whieh were unattainable luxurifs or en- 
tirely unknown to their predecessors of half a tentur\ a^o. Vet to them, in their 
generation, the conditions which would seem to us hard, caused no more discon- 
tent than atleiuls the lot of men an>where. who can see a hope or i)rospective op- 
portunities for hetteriny their condition, aiul are spurred on by such discontent as 
they ilo feel to make the best the> may of the opportunities the>' have. 

l'A'er> w hen-, in tnir own land, are found men who ha\ e worketl their own wa\' 
from lowl\ .uul hmnble beuinninus to places of leadership in tlu' commerce, the 
.yreat iiroductive industries, .iiul management of the vt-ins and arteries (.)t the 
trafhe and exchanji^es of the country. Not unfreqnently they are found amonu the 
trusted leaders and rev)resentatives in the councils of the state and nation. 

It is one of the ji'lories of our country that this is so. It should be the strong- 
est incentive and encouragement to the youth of the country that it is so. 

Proniinent, ami in some respects exception. d, .ntiong tlu- sell-nuule representa- 
tive men of Wisconsin is the subject of this sketch a man honored, respected and 
esteemed wherever known, and most of all where he is best known. The biog- 
raphy o( such a n\.in, luiwt'\er brielK told, should tr.ice the causes of his successful 
career. 

Is.i.ic ."^tephenson was born ii\ York county, near h'redericton. New Hruns- 
wick, lune iS, iS.h). His father, Isaac Stephenson, was of Scotch-Irish extraction; 
his mv)lher, bdizabeth. i/tv \\ .itson, was a native of London. Kngland. His father 
was a lumberman and farnur. .uul the boy passed his early boyhood on the farm, 
assisting" his f.ither to the best of his abilit>-. He attended the public schools for 
a short time, but most of his eiluc.it iiM\ has been obtained by observation and in 
the school of experience. \\ hen fourteen years ot age he moveil to Hangor. 
Maine, but about .i year and a half later accompanied Jefferson Sinclair, as a mem- 
ber of his familv. westwahl. and locateil in Milwaukee, \\'iscoi\sin, where he .uri\ ed 
on November 15, K^45. There the boy resumed his studies in the common schools, 
but about the lirst of .\pril, 1S40, he accompanied Mr. Sinclair to an imdeveloped 





c 



cS%«^.^Zt5^ 




RErRKSKNTATIVK MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. T,;^ 

farm, located five miles south of Janesville, Wisconsin, vi^here, during that spring 
and summer, he broke one hundred and thirty acres of land and helped put in four 
hundred acres of wheat. The following year they also put the same number of 
acres in wheat, but both crops were failures — the first being winter killed and the 
next ruined by rust. 

Mr. Sinclair, having become financially interested with Daniel Wells, Jr., in 
lands in northern Michigan, around Escanaba, the youth transferred the 
scene of his labors to that section. He early in life displayed executive ability, 
and, even at this early age, reliance was placed upon his sound judgment and ster- 
ling integrity. He worked hard and faithfully, and, during the first season, drove a 
six-ox team, Yankee fashion, with a goad stick; hauled whole trees, and, incidentally, 
one hundred and fifty spars that were shipped to Chicago and Milwaukee. At 
that time there were no boats large enough to load these spars and they were lashed 
to the sides of the vessels. In 1847-9 he was placed in charge of the lumber camps, 
and in 1850 began taking contracts on his own account, for putting in logs. His 
life at this time was full of hard and perilous work. Even at the present time 
logging is far from a pleasant occupation, but in those early days when facilities 
were poor it was far more difficult and hazardous. Erequently has our subject 
been up to his arm pits in an icy stream, and, with water rushing about him, dash- 
ing spray over his head and beard, forming ice wherever it lighted, directed the 
course of logs to the boom. The summer months, at this time, he occupied by 
sailing on lake Michigan, and, during the warm seasons of 1849, 1850 and 1851, he 
sailed on vessels carrying freight from Chicago and Milwaukee to Escanaba; and, 
before he was twenty-one years of age, he owned the controlling interest in the 
schooner Cleopatra, which, in 1853, was lost about a mile south of Chicago. The 
summer of 1848 he attended school in Milwaukee. 

He naturally became a good judge of the value of timber lands, and 
explored large sections in the upper peninsula of Michigan, locating the more 
valuable tracts. In July, 1848, the first land office was opened in northern 
Michigan, at Sault de Ste. Marie, and, accompanied by Daniel Wells, Jr., and 
Jefferson Sinclair, he attended the first sale, and assisted in purchasing large 
tracts of valuable timber lands on the Escanaba, Eord river and Sturgeon 
river on Big Bay de Noquet. In 1852 it was decided to build breakwaters 
along the shore of lake Michigan in Chicago, and Mr. Stephenson, associated 
with X. Ludington & Company, cut and delivered, during the years 1852-3-4-5, the 
timber that was used in constructing the first breakwaters built. In 1857 Mr. 
Stephenson discontinued contracting logs, and in 1858 purchased a quarter interest 
in the property and mill owned by N. Ludington & Company. Of this business he 
at onc6 became the managerial head and controlling spirit, and succeeded in 
placing it upon a prosperous footing. In 1868 it was decided to incorporate the 
business as a stock company, and, being desirous of retaining the prestige of the 
old firm name, Mr. Stephenson decided to call the corporation the N. Ludington 
Comjiany. This is the first instance that a firm name was continued in a succeed- 
ing corporation. The N. Ludington Company is capitalized for $700,000, of 
which Mr. .Stephenson owns a controlling interest. He acted as vice-president 



34 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

from the tinu' of its incorporation until 1883. Since then he has served continu- 
ously as president. In 1867 he became interested in the Peshtigo Company, of 
which W. B. Ogden, Chicago's first mayor, was the largest stockholder. Of this cor- 
poration, capitalized for $1,500,000, Mr. Stephenson became vice-president. The 
company built the largest woodenware factory in the world, and conducted a large 
and satisfactory business in lumber and woodenware, until October 8, 1871, when its 
plant in Peshtigo was destroyed by fire, on the same day that the great conflagration 
in Chicago devoured its retail yards. A loss of nearly two million dollars was en 
tailed by these disastrous fires. The mill and village were immediately recon- 
structed. At the time Mr. Stephenson became interested in the Peshtigo Com- 
pany he became convinced that it was feasible to tow barges on lake Michigan, 
although most of the men who understood the condition of that treacherous body 
of water deemed it impracticable. Mr. Stephenson proved that his theory was 
correct, and started the first tugs on the upper lakes. The Stephenson Transpor- 
tation Company, operating the steamer Boscobel and six barges, resulted from his 
experiments in that direction. Mr. Stephenson was also instrumental in organiz- 
ing the Sturgeon Bay & Lake Michigan Ship Canal & Harbor Company, which 
constructed a canal from Sturgeon bay to lake Michigan. The construction of 
this canal was i-mmediately under the supervision of Mr. Stephenson, Jesse Spald- 
ing and the late William E. Strong. The canal was sold to the government and 
has been of material advantage to all of the Green Bay section. 

Mr. Stephenson is the parent of the Menominee River & Boom Company. 
This corporation handles more logs than any other boom company in the workl. 
In 1867 Mr. Stephenson was requested by the lumbermen of the Menominee river 
to devise plans for a main boom on the Menominee river. This he did, and su- 
perintended its design and construction from start to finish, improving it yearly. 
He is president of the company, which is capitalized for one and a quarter million 
■/— dollars. It controls some forty dams on the river and its tributaries, and drives 
all logs on the main rlver"~^th its system of dams. An idea of the immense 
quantity of logs handled by the company can be obtained from the fact that in one 
^ 3'ear six hundred and seventy-five millions of feet of logs were divided through 
the boom. Very few men have as many large business interests as Mr. Stephen- 
son possesses. He has, in addition to those mentioned above, large financial in- 
vestments in the following: The I. Stephenson Company, of Escanaba, Michigan, 
organized about 1886, is capitalized for $600,000, and claims him as president and 
/ manager. This company owns one of the largest, if not the largest, of the retail 
yards in Chicago. In 1873 he organized the Stephenson Banking Company as a state 
bank, and in 1888 merged that Into the Stephenson National Bank, which he then 
organized, with $100,000 capital, and now acts as its president. Associated with 
Daniel Wells, Jr., and Charles Ray, of Milwaukee, he purchased for $700,000 the 
plant and property of the Peshtigo Company and reorganized as the Peshtigo 
Lumber Company. Of this he is also president. He was also one of the organ- 
I izers of the Marinette^ & Menominee Paper Company, which is capitalized for 
' $750,000, and of which he owns a one-seventh interest. This company's plant con- 
sists of three mills, and is one of the finest in the west. Mr. Stephenson is also 



KKI'KKSENTATIVK MEN OK lllK UNITKIJ STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 35 

president of the Stephenson Manufacturing Company, which cuts about fifteen 
millions of feet of lumber yearly, and is ca])italized for $50,000. He has large in- 
terests in pine lands in the northwest and in Louisiana. The Peshtigo Lumber 
Company, of which he is president and has one-third interest, owns one hundred 
and thirty-six thousand acres of land. The N. Ludington Company, of which he 
has a controlling interest, and is also president, owns one hundred and thirty 
thousand acres; and in Louisiana he and his associates pwn one hundred and 
twenty-five thousand acres of pine lands. Mr. Stephenson is interested in farming 
on a large scale. He owns a farm of nine hundred acres five miles west of Kenosha, 
Wisconsin. On this farm he has one hundred horses, twelve hundred sheep, one 
lumdred and twenty-five cows, besides other cattle. This is considered one of the 
best equipped farms in the State. He is interested in a creamery near there that 
makes three hundred pounds of butter per day. He also owns a farm in the city 
of Marinette, where he is raising fast-trotting horses. Mr. Stephenson has been 
enterprising in every direction, and in a great many instances was the pioneer of 
certain industries. He placed the first steamboats on the Menominee and its trib- 
utaries. The tug Morgan L. Martin was placed on the Menominee river by him. 
He took the first steamboat into Cedar river; the first into F"ord river; the first into 
White Fisher river, at the head of Little Bay de Noquet and the second steamboat 
into the Escanaba river. 

Politically, Mr. Stephenson was formerly a whig, but upon the organization of 
the republican party, in 1856, joined its ranks, and has since then been one of the 
staunchest advocates of the doctrines of true republicanism. In 1856 he stood on 
the courthouse steps in Chicago and peddled tickets for John C. Fremont and 
other republican candidates. He has been honored by his fellow citizens with 
their political preference, and in 1866 and 1868 served in the Wisconsin general 
assembly. In 1882 he was elected to congress, and, after serving three terms of 
two years each, declined a renomination, owing to the stress of his business affairs. 
In congress he served on the committees on agriculture, public lands and river 
and harbors, in addition to other minor committees. In 1880 he was a delegate 
to the republican national convention, which nominated Garfield. P^or thirty- 
three ballots he cast his vote for Blaine, then, believing that the old commander 
was the strongest candidate, he twice voted for Grant, but on the final ballot cast 
his vote for Garfield. In 1892 he was a delegate at large to the Minneapolis con- 
vention, that renominated Harrison. Probablj' no man in the northwest is more 
thoroughly conversant with affairs of state, or is more intimately acquainted with 
the acknowledged political leaders than is he. Reed, McKinley and others of 
prominence are honored with his friendship. The hero of Winchester, " Little 
Phil," as his soldiers delighted to call him, passed many delightful hours in the 
society of Mr. Stephenson' and, to the day of his death, valued his friendship very 
highly. 

Mr. Stephenson has been married thrice, — in 1852 to Margaret Stephenson, 
hour children, now living, resulted from this union. In 1873 he was joined in wed- 
lock to Augusta Anderson. Three children survived their mother. In 1884 he 
wedded Elizabeth Burns. One son is the issue of this marriage. 



36 BIOGRAPHICAL DICnONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 



Mr. SU'phfMson stands as tlu- perfect type of (jjenerous, symim'trical inanliood. 
All his life has been an exeniplitication of all that is best in the human heart and 
soul. To the thoughtful student there is much to inspire with the fire of emulation. 
He is courteous and unostentatious in a marked degree. None is so poor as to be 
refused a kindly word from him. He is proud of his early labors, and delights to 
recall the days when, with a broad-ax, he, shoulder to shoulder with his men, 
attacked the virgin forests. He has now in his possession an ax-handle made by 
t him in 184.8, and which he used occasionally until 1877. Although possessed of 
great wealth, he never has indulged in outside show, but has preferred to live as 
"a man amongst uicil" As an illustration of his quiet, unostentatious manner, the 
following extract from a letter written to a friend by Hon. John D. Long, three 
times elected governor of Massachusetts, is (juoted. Ciovernor Long refutes an 
assertion that congressmen were spending money with prodigality and lived only 
for ostentatious show, cites instances that proved the assertion false, and continu- 
ing writes: "Walking out with Mrs. Long at sundown last evening, we passed a 
modest doorstep, on which, with his young children playing about him, sat a mem- 
ber who pointed to a plain suite of rooms as his lodging, and whose dress and 
manner of living are as unostentatious as those of a Plymouth county farmer, 
and yet he is a Western lumberman, wise and l)r()ad-headed, and not ashamed, 
but proud, of the goad stick which he wieUl''(l in his youth and with which he 
pricked his way to fortune." 

Such is the biography of one of the most successful men of the Northwest. He 
carved his way to fame and fortune unaided and alone, by constant application and 
hard work. Gifted by nature with a strong and rugged constitution, he led his 
men into icy streams and through unexplored forests, without injury. Blessed 
with a logical mind, and possessing a most remarkable memory, he was enaliled to 
conduct large enterprises successfully, and his success is entirely attributable to 
hard and patient work, combined with a naturally well-balanced mind. 



HORACE RUBLEE, 

MILWAUKEE. 

Horace Rublee was bt)rn in Berkshire, b'ranklin covuity. \'ermont, August 19, 
1829. His father, Alvah Rublee, was of Huguenot ancestry. His mother, Martha 
Rublee, //cc Kent, was a descendant of one of the earliest settlers of Vermont. 
Her grandfather was prominently identified with the early history of that common- 
wealth. At his house, in 1776, the meeting which declared Vermont an indepen- 
dent colony was held. He was a prominent figure in the colony, and served as a 
member of the first legislature after it became a state. 

The chililhood day^ of our subject were passed amid the V'ermont hills. His 
father was a man of limited means, who endeavored to wrest with the plow from 
the barren soil of X'ermont a substantial living for his faniilw The bo\' as lie ma- 



RKI'KKSENTATIVK MKN OF TlIK I'MTKI) STATKS; WISCUNSIN VOLUMK. T^J 

tured assisted his father in such labor as his strength would permit, and when 
opportunity offered attended the district school. Having heard of the fertility of 
the soil of the west, his father determined to journey thither, and in 1840 arrived 
in Wisconsin, becoming a pioneer of Sheboygan county. The family resided in 
the village of Sheboygan, where the elder Rublee became engaged in farming and 
lumbering. Schools were few in that section at that time, but the boy, being 
anxious to obtain an education, devoted considerable time to study and was 
enabled to educate himself. He taught district school in Sheboygan county, and 
later determined to take a course of study at the state university at Madison, and 
entered that institution in 184Q. The following year he was attacked with illness 
and was forced to return home. After recovering he again taught school in She- 
boygan. In 1852 and 1853 he reported the proceedings of the state legislature for 
the Wisconsin Argus, a newspaper then published in Madison by Tenney & Car- 
pc-ntcr. In the spring of 1S53 he became an editorial writer on the Madison Jour- 
nal, then i)ublished by David Atwood. The following spring he purchased a half 
interest in the business, which was continuetl until 1S69 under the firm name of 
Atwood & Rublee. 

In 1854 the repeal of the Missouri compromise caused great excitement among 
all the northern states. The citizens of Michigan and Wisconsin were among the 
first to take action. In the latter state a call for a mass meeting of all opposed to 
the extension of slavery, to be held in Madison on July 13, was issued. That date 
was chosen as it was the anniversary of the passage of the act of 1787, by which all 
territory northwest of the Ohio river was to be free from slavery. Although the 
republican party did not become a factor in national politics until 1856, when F"re- 
mont became its standard-bearer, it was organized in 1854, when the freedom- 
loving sons of the northwest entered their protests against slavery. At the mass 
meeting in Madison, Mr. Rublee acted as one of the secretaries, and was therefore 
instrumental in organizing the republican party in Wisconsin. 

For two years (i856-'57) Mr. Rublee filled the position of state librarian. In 
1859 he was appointed chairman of the republican state committee, and filled 
that position creditably for ten years, which included the years of the war. 

In 1868 he was a delegate to the republican national convention which nomi- 
nated Grant for the presidency, and served as a member of the committee on 
platform. In 1869 he was appointed United States minister to Switzerland. While 
abroad (in the fall of 1869) he accepted a proposition from J. (). Culver, and sold 
his interests in the Madison Journal to that gentleman. 

Mr. Rublee remained in Switzerland until the autumn of 1876. He then re- 
turned to the United States and tendered his resignation to Secretary of State 
Fish.' He was requested to withhold his resignation until the expiration of Gen- 
eral Grant's term, as the president did not desire to make a new appointment for 
so short a period. He therefore withdrew his resignation and i>resented it as soon 
as President Hayes was inaugurated, and it was then accepted. 

In that year he was again appointed chairman of the republican state com- 
mittee of Wisconsin. At that time the doctrine of greenbackism had caused de- 
sertions from the ranks of the party, and the state convention adopted a weak 



38 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

plank on the financial question. Mr. Rublee conducted the campaign in opposition 
to this plank, and, although vigorously opposed by some of the party leaders, con- 
ducted the canvass in favor of sound money and in support of the resumption of 
specie payments. The adoption of this course by the party doubtless saved the 
state to the republicans, as large gains were made in the strong German districts. 
Mr. Rublee conducted the congressional canvass in 1878 on the same lines, but de- 
clined serving as chairman another term when the republican state convention 
was held in 1879. 

In 1881 he was instrumental in organizing a corporation which, to obtain a 
press franchise, purchased the Milwaukee News, a democratic paper, and began 
the publication of the Republican and News, of which Mr. Rublee became editor. 
In the spring of 1882 the Milwaukee Sentinel was purchased by the corpora- 
tion, and the two papers were consolidated. Since then Mr. Rublee has been 
editor of the Sentinel. 

Mr. Rublee was married in 1857, to Katharine Hopkins, of Washington county, 
New York. Mrs. Rublee is a member of a family well known in the state. Two 
of her brothers, B. F. Hopkins, who died while a representative in congress from 
the Dane county district, and Judge James C. Hopkins, who passed away while 
judge of the United States district court for the western district of Wisconsin, 
were figures of prominence in the community. 

Mr. Rublee has traveled quite extensively. In addition to his travels while 
minister to Switzerland, he, in 1891, visited Sicily, Egypt, Constantinople, Greece 
and Italy. 



CHARLES KENDALL ADAMS, A. M., LL. D., 



CHARLES KENDALL ADAMS, President of the University of Wisconsin, 
was born at Derby, Vermont, on the 24th of January, 1835. The first ten years of 
his life were spent in a village, but from the time he was ten until he was twenty years 
of age he lived upon a farm, attending a district school during the winter months. 
In the course of these years, however, he showed considerable aptitude as a student 
of mathematics, mastering Davies' algebra, geometry, trigonometry and surveying 
before he was eighteen. From 1852 to 1855 he taught school during the winter 
months. In the fall of 1855 he migrated to Iowa, whither he was followed the next 
spring by his parents. It was not until he had passed his twenty-first birthday that 
he decided to fit himself for college by taking a complete course in Latin and 
Greek. Though his parents earnestly sympathized with him in his desire for a 
collegiate education, it was impossible for them to render him any financial assist- 
ance. His preparation was completed at the end of one year by arduous study in 
the Denmark Academy, Iowa, and he entered the University of Michigan in the 
fall of 1857, where, after supporting himself four years by manual labor, by teach- 
ing, and by assisting in the administration of the library, he graduated in 1861. 



fSi iBf' 




d^^2Ae— ^ 



?r 



KE1'R?:SENTAT1VE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 3Q 

RcmaininjT for a graduate course of study, he took the Master's degree in 1862, 
anil immediately thereafter was appointed instructor in Latin and history. In 
1863 he was made assistant professor, a position which he held until 1867, when he 
was advanced to a full professorship with the privilege of spending a year and a 
half in Europe. After studying in several of the universities of Germany and 
France, and spending about two months in Italy, he entered upon his work as pro- 
fessor in the autumn of 1868. Soon after his return to the university he established 
a historical seminary, modeled after the methods pursued in Germany. On the 
establishment of a school of political science at the University of Michigan, Prof- 
essor Adams was appointed its dean, and at the same time he was made non- 
resident lecturer in history at Cornell University. These positions he continued to 
hold until 1885, when he was called to the presidency of Cornell University, a posi- 
tion which he occupied until the summer of 1892. During the seven years of his 
incumbency of that position, the number of students was increased from five 
hundred and sixty to more than one thousand five hundred; and the endowment of 
the univ^ersity was increased by nearly $2,000,000. The courses of study were multi- 
plied and all branches of the university were reorganized. Successful efforts were 
made to improve and increase the facilities for graduate work, and the number of 
graduate students in consequence was increased from about forty to nearly two 
hundred. During his administration he was also specially desirous of making the 
institution as strong on its literary side as it had been on the side of natural and 
applied science. To this end the instructional force was remodeled and increased, 
and the result made the literary work of the university one of the strongest fea- 
tures of the institution. Immediately after his acceptance of the presidency, he 
prepared and submitted an elaborate report on the advisability of establishing 
a college of law. Though the trustees of the university were inclined to doubt 
the practicability of establishing a school of law at that time in the center of the 
State, yet they were finally persuaded to adopt the recommendation of the presi- 
dent, and the school was accordingly established. From the first it had unex- 
pected prosperity, and within five years became one of the prominent schools of 
the country. At the time of his resignation, the following resolutions were unani- 
mously passed, by the board of trustees: 

" It is in obedience both to a sense of duty and to a feeling of strong personal 
respect and attachment that the trustees of Cornell University place upon their 
minutes this formal expression of their cordial appreciation of the services of Dr. 
Charles Kendall Adams as their chief executive officer during the past seven 
years. 

"He came into the presidency at a time when a great addition to the material 
resources of the institution demanded commensurate effort. New departments 
were to be created, old departments enlarged and reorganized; large additions 
were to be made to the faculty and great extension given to the equipment. 

" It is not too much to say that President Adams distinguished himself by the 
fidelity with which his multifarious duties were discharged. The formation of his 
plans was marked by wisdom, and their execution by unwearied labor and care. 
In the choice of professors he showed remarkable sagacity ; rarely in the history 



40 lilOGRAPlIICAL DICTIONARY AND rORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



of any institution has such a series of eminent professors been hrcnioht into any 
facuhy as that which has been introduced under his achiiinistration into Cornell 
UniYersity. A very strikinjj testimony to the wisdom of his nominations is seen in 
the efforts which other leading institutions have made to attract into their own 
faculties the men he had thus selected. 

"In the relations between the university and the national and State govern- 
ments, and especially with the department of public instruction in the State of New 
York, President Adams has also shown his ability to deal with nu'U in the coniluct 
of large public affairs. 

"As regards the intluence of the university on the public and wide iliscussion 
of the leading educational topics of the time. President Adams by his writings and 
speeches has materially inHuenced the most enlighteneil public opinion of his 
country, and as a writer upon historical subjects he has done work which has 
elicited praise from the highest sources on both sides of the Atlantic. 

" His administration will be remembered in the history of Cornell University as 
equally imijortant to the interests of the institution and creditable to himself, and 
we tender to him as a scholar, as an educator and as a man the assurance of our 
sincere respect and regard, with our best wishes for his future success and happiness. 

" Resolved, That President Adams be requested to sit for a portrait to be 
placed in the university, and that the chairman of this board be empowered to 
carry out this resolution. 

"Resolved, That six thousantl dollars be appropriated, to be paid quarterly, 
in the usual maiuirr, to President C. K. Ailams during the ensuing year." 

The ft:)llowing statement was made by the general faculty: 

"Whereas, President Charles Kendall Adams has severed his connection with 
this university, we, the faculty, desire to e.xpress our sincere regret that he has 
found such action necessary, and our appreciation of the zeal and efficiency of the 
administration of his office. 

".Since his accession the growth of the imiversit\- has been marvelous; large 
sums of money have been expended in increasing material facilities; departments 
already in existence have been enlarged, and new ones have been created; a 
flourishing school of law has been developed; the requirements for admission to 
the university have been raised; a more liberal policy with respect to elective work 
has been inaugurated; the courses of instruction have been expanded and brought 
into a more orderly arrangement; the standard of scholarship has been greatly ad- 
vanced, and graduate work has been effectively promoted in all departments; a 
closer connection between the university and the public-school system of the State 
has been brought about; unfriendly movements in the legislature have been 
warded off. and friendly advances from other quarters have been hapi)il\- met and 
reciprocated. 

"In all these activities the president of the university must of necessity take a 
leading part; and w-e recognize his careful and successful guidance through it all. 

"W'c liespeak for l,iim a like measure of success in future fields of usefulness 
to which he may lie called, and assure him of our high regard and hearty good 
wishes tliat will follow him wherever he mav go." 



REl'RESliNIATnE MLN UF I'UK UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. .4 I 

111 i8q2 President Adams resi<rned the presidency of Cornell UniNcrsity wii h 
the iHirpose of devoting his life henceforth to the writing of history; but in the 
course of the summer he received several invitations to resume educational work, 
and a few months later he accepted the presidency of the University of Wisconsin. 
He entered upon the duties of the office at the opening of the college year in Sep- 
tember, and on the 17th of January, 1893, was duly inducted into office. His accept- 
ance of the presidency of the University of Wisconsin gave an immediate impulse 
to the work of the institution. The number of students during the first year of 
his administration rose from one thousand and ninety-two to one thousand two 
hundred and eighty-nine. In the collegiate year 1894-95 the number in attendance 
is aljout 1,500, 

In 1872 President Adams published "Democracy and Monarchy in France," a 
volume which soon went into a third edition, and was translated into German and 
published at Stuttgart in 1873. A few years later he jjublished the most important 
of his works, the "Manual of Historical Literature," designed for students, libra- 
rians and general readers. A third edition, much revised and enlarged, was pub- 
lished in 1888. He also edited, with historical and critical notes, three volumes of 
"British Orations," designed to show the characteristics and importance of the 
greatest English orators. In the summer of 1892 he published the "Life and Work 
of Christopher Columbus." He is at present editor-in-chief of "Johnson's Univer- 
sal Cyclopaedia," having as his associate editors thirty-five of the most prominent 
scholars in the country. The degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred u[)on Presi- 
dent Adams by Harvard University in 1886. He is a member of many learned 
societies, and in 1890 was president of the American Historical Association. 



THOMAS PEMBKR RUSSELL, M. D., 



Dr. Russell is a native of Bethel, Windsor county, Vermont, and was born 
April 19, 1827. His parents, Thomas Pember and Martha (Cotton) Russell, were 
both descendants of illustrious New England families. His paternal ancestry is 
traceable back through several generations in New England to Scotch-Irish origin, 
and the maternal branch owes its source to a union of English and .Scotch blood. 
His maternal grandmother was Alice Chase, an aunt of Salmon P.Chase. His 
father was maternally descended from the Livingston family, which occupied such 
a prominent position in the early history of New York. Both branches of his 
family were composed of patriots, who fought I^ravely in the struggle for inde- 
pendence. Colonel Cornelius Russell, grandfather of our subject, was on the staff 
of General Washington. The father of Dr. Russell, as well as himself, was named 
after a grand uncle of our subject, who was killed by the Indians at the burning of 
Kovalton, \'<,'rmont. 



nidCU AI'llIlAl. DKTRtNAKV ANH I'OK I KAIT GALLERY OK TllK 



\'uun^ Kusst'll uiukcd on a lanu ami altciulcil district school until he was 
about sixteen, when he spent a season at the Royalton Academy. In the fall of 
1842 he became an employe of the Vermont Central Railroad Company, and spent 
four years with thai comi>any, first as a member of the surveyiny; corps and later 
as conductor. With the means he had accumulated as a railroad employe he de- 
termined to study medicine, and entered upon his course in 1848 at East Randolph, 
under the late Dr. Walter Carpenter. He attended lectures in the Vermont Medi- 
cal College in Woodstock, Vermont, and graduated in 1852. He entered upon the 
practice of his profession in the town of Weston, in his native county, where he 
remained two years. In 1S54 he settled in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and since then has 
continuously pursued his professional career in that city, excepting when he served 
his country in the darkest hours of her existence. When the war of the Rebellion 
was inaugurated, Dr. Russell, with the patriotism characteristic of his brave an- 
cestors, was among the llrst to respond to the call of the president. In May, 1861, 
he became assistant surgeon of the second regiment Wisconsin infantry, and 
while serving in this capacity at the battle of Blackburn Ford, July 17, 1861, ampu- 
tated the first leg cut off during the civil war. He was later transferred to the 
first Wisconsin cavalry, of which regiment he was surgeon, until, in 1863, owing 
to a severe illness contracted in the service and which threatened his life, he was 
relieved from duty and discharged f'cm the service. Returning to Oshkosh, his 
life was despaired of, but owing to h!'. strong constitution he recovered and was 
soon able to re-enter upon his practice. His skill as a surgeon soon attracted at- 
tention, and patients from distant points, learning of his ability, joined the citizens 
of Oshkosh in displaying their confidence by consulting him. He is a general 
practitioner, but as a surgeon he has become most renowned, and he has been 
engaged in more surgical operations than any other physician in the State. He is 
a close student of sciences pertaining to medicine, and as a microscopist he is very 
prominent. That he is possessed of great professional ability has been conceded 
by all members of the profession. Rush Medical College bestowed upon him an 
honorary degree, and without his knowledge he has been appointed emeritus pro- 
fessor of surgery of the Milwaukee College of Physicians and Surgeons. 

Politically. Dr. Russell is affiliated with the Republican party, and while in no 
sense a politician, 1ki\ ing always refusetl to have his name used for any political 
office, he is strongly partisan and does all in his power as a citizen to aid his party 
in its various campaigns. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and has 
passed through the various degrees up to and inchiding the thirty-second degree 
Scottish rites. He is also a noble of the mystic shrine. He is a member of the 
W^isconsin State medical society. United States surgical society, American medi- 
cal association, I'nited States medical assi>ciation, Northwestern medical society, 
and box River Medical society. 

In 1852 Dr. Russell married Miss brances M. Mgerton, of l^ast Ranilolph,\'er- 
mont. She died in P'ebruary, 1855, without issue. In 1838 he was uniteil in mar- 
riage to Miss Sophia M. Edgarton, of Matlison New York. Three children, two of 
whom are dead, have resulted from this marriage. Their living son, Thomas Charles 
Russell, has recently gratluatcd from the Boston Conservatory of Music, and is a 
musician of great promise. 



KEI'RESENTATIVIC MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 43 

Dr. I\uss(;irs life h;is Ihcii characterized by energy, persevc!nince aiul hard 
work, and to these j)riiici|)les his success is due. He has been in continuous prac- 
tice in Wisconsin for nearly forty years, and has earned for himself a name second 
to none in the State. He is so quiet, unostentatious and retiring in disposition as 
almost to be at fault, but his reputation has come to him solely because of hisabil- 
it)', which is so decided that the credit due him was thrust upon him without solici- 
tation by him. As a citizen. Dr. Russell commands the respect of all that know 
him; as a physician he enjoys the high honor of being conceded the acknowledged 
l)eer of any in the West. 



GuiDO pftsti-:r, 

MII.WAUKEK. 

BY the death of an honorable and upright citizen the community sustains an 
irreparable loss and is deprived of the presence of one whom it had come to 
look upon as a guardian, benefactor and friend. Death often removes from our 
midst those whom we can ill afford to spare, whose places it is difficult to fill, whose 
lives and actions have been all that is exemplary of the true and thereby really 
great citizen, and whose whole career, both business and social, serves as a model 
to the young and as a rejuvenation to the aged. Such a career sheds a brightness 
anil a luster around everything with which it comes in contact. It creates by its 
usefulness and general benevolence a memory whose perpetuation does not depend 
upon brick or stone, but upon the spontaneous and free-will offering of a grateful 
and enlightened people. 

By the death of Guido Pfister, which occurred P'c^bruary 27, 1889, the city of 
Milwaukee lost one of its most prominent and enterprising citizens. He was a 
native of Hechuig, Hohenzollern, (iermany, and was born September 18, r8i8. 
1 le settled in Milwaukee in 1847, ^"d established what afterward became the Pfister 
(X: V'ogel Leather Company. The firm was originally comi)osed of the subject of 
this sketch, Mr. Frederick Vogel and Mr. J. F. Schoellkopf, the last named a resi- 
dent of Buffalo, New York. Mr. Schoellkopf withdrew in 1852, and the other 
jiartncrs continued the business with the firm name unchanged, until 1872, when it 
was incorporated under the name of Pfister & Vogel Leather Company. From a 
comparatively small beginning the business has steadily increased from year to 
year unUer the careful management of its enterprising and energetic proprietors, 
until at the present time it comprises four of the largest and best equipped tan- 
neries in the entire West. Aside from this business Mr. Pfister was largely inter- 
ested in many other successful enterprises He was a prime mover in the Milwau- 
kee & Northern Railroad Comi)any, and one of the founders of the Merchants' 
Exchange Bank, and at the time of his decease was a director in both of these in- 
stitutions and also of the Northwestern National Insurance Company. He was a 
man of siri(t integrit)' and noted for his cliaritable deeds, and was especially inter- 



_^J^ lUOCK Alllir \l IMC llONARV ANH I'ORI'KAir CAI.l.KRY OK TIIK 



ested in woitliN' youii^ mni, iniin\ ol whom owf tluir slarl in Wiv lo liis riuoura^f- 
nuMit and ^fnorosilv. lie was, witlial, modest and rt'tirin»f in manner and disposi- 
tion and unostentatious in t-\ erytiiinj;. l^esitles leavinji an ample fortune to his 
wiiUiw. daui^iiler and son, tlu-y inheritetl from iiim an honored name. 

l''or some time before his death Mr. Plister had frequently expressed a desire 
to see a line hotel erected on the east side of the city. After his death some of the 
niost enterprisino- of the citizens of Milwaukee completed arrangements to erect a 
nia.tjniiicenl hotel liuildin>;, and in iionor of Mr. Pfister, who had so strenuously de- 
voted his ener<;ies and talents to advance the material interests of the city, it was 
given his name. The llotel Pfister is without exception the finest, most complete 
and grandest hotel in the West, and is, as it should be, a grand, imi)osing and use- 
ful memorial of a grand anil noble man. 

For half a century Mr. Ptister rcsiiled in Milwaukee, and his name is indelibly 
stamped amongst the most prominent, most enterprising and truest men that have ever 
ihvelt in the State of Wisconsin, llis name is unsullied and his reputation without 
a blot. .As a lilizen, none was more higliK' respected; as a man of business, none 
enjoyed the coniidence of all classes more than In-; as a husband and father, he 
displayed the highest traits of the human character, and in his home where he was 
best known his noble nature commanded the love and respect of those around him. 
His life was a success, lie was a man of ability, — not so abnormally developed in 
any direction as to be called a genius; he was strongest because he was the best 
balanced, the fullest roundetl, the most even and most masterful of men, the in- 
carnation of conunon sense and moral purity in thought and action. 



EDWARD r. I5ACON. 

Mil W Al'KlsK. 

Ij'^DWARn p. BACON was born in the town of Reading, Steuben (nmv Schuy- 
X-i lerl count\', New York, May id. 18^4. llis father, joseiih !•". Bacon, was a 
tailor, but owing to ill health ga\'e up iiis \ocation and remo\-e<.l to Geneva, On- 
tario county. New \ork, with his famil\, w lu-n the son was about four years of age, 
where he engaged in \ arious employments, the princijial of which was that of jani- 
tor for two of the churches of the village. The son, when very young, assisted his 
father in his employments during the hours of the day when not in attendance at 
school, .11x1 during vacations. When about ten years of age he was placed upon a 
farm, where he was to remain until he should reach the age of sixteen. 
After about a j'ear, however, he w.is removed by the father, owing to dissatisfac- 
tion with some action ol llu' tanner by whom he was emplo\'ed, and was taken 
lu>me, when he resumed school attendance, employing his spare time in such work 
as he couUl obtain, to aild to the scanty support of his father's l'amil\. consisting 
of the mother and lixu children, lie was fond of study, ami being ot a religious 
turn of mind he e.irly formed the purpose^ to jirciiare for tiie ministry, ho])ing to 
be able lo work his wa\- through colK'ge. Wlu'ii thirtei'U \ears ol .ige, howi-xer. 




Sj^Td. 



Kl'J'KKSKNl A I l\ !■ MIN Hh I III UMIIJ) SIAI KS ; WISCONSIN V'Ol.llMh;. 



lie luilllil it I1C( cssai'V to (llMOiil iiiuc Mlli'iulaiirr ;il silnxil, .111(1 ( >l )l .li I1C( i fill | ili )\- 

rnriil ill a ^ciicimI store in the \illa)_;<-, as ciraiiil lioy, at two dollars a week, and 
after a f<'\v inoiilhs was assi^^ned to duly hejiind tin- (()iint<T. I Ir remained in tin, 
|iosil ion lor aliout t wo years, when he resumed his si iidii-s, I'literinj^ I he ( olh'j^iate 
I list it nte a I I'm o(k port, Moll rcx' county, New York, a cousin who resided I hei<' havint^ 
oil e red him a home in his f.imily. ( )win^ to the ill health and ix-cuiiiary iiecessili(;s of 
his fat Iwr he was ahle to remain less t ha n .i year, and wasanainoiili^ed loscc.'kcmploy- 
iiKMiI, which he found as ( lerk in a ;^cner.il sloi'e in tin- villaj^e of Hrockporl. .\ftei 
reinaiiiiii^i ther<' little more th.in a \ear, he enleri'd upon railroad ser\ice, in wlii( h 
he coiiliiiiicd for fourtitcii yctars, haviiifr secured u position as ch-rk in the freit,dit 
otfice of the New York & ICrie Kailroad (now New York, Lake; I'^rie t*<: Weslerii), 
at 1 lonielisville, New York, in May, 1S51. lU; still held the purpose of piirsuint^ 
his studies when the savings from his earnings should Ix- sullicieni to permit his 
resuming them. Imt ihe assistaiK e \vhi( h it Imi ,ime neressary foi" him to render to 
his father's family linally com|)elled him to ah.uidoii the jirojecl. lie met with 
rapid promotion in railroad service, and hlled positions of increasin^j ini|jortancc 
from ye.ir to year, and was transferred suc( cssivdy to ( "ornin^r, l"'linira and New 
Ndrk. n-maininf^ aixjul a ycNir in each pl.ice. in the l.tst named rity h<' occupied 
th<' jjosition of chief clerk in t he ^,'eneral freij^ht olliic of tlx' (ompany. In May, 
1S55, he accepted .1 simil.ir iiosilion in the freiMhi oIIkc oI the Michitran .Southern 
Railroad Company at Chica^^o, and in July ol th(,- iollowiii^,' y(;ar was api)ointed 
freij^ht ajfent of the Milwaukee iS: Mississip|)i Railroad ("ompany, now th(! I'rairie 
(iu Chi<;n division of the Chicago, Milwaukee iK: St. I'.iul Railway, at Milwaukee;, 
Wisconsin, where he has since resided up to the present tinu;. I le r(Mnained nine 
yt-ars in the emi)loy of the ai)o\r- menlion<(l (lunpanyand its successor, the Mil- 
w.iukee <S: I'rairie du ( hien l\,iilwa\' ( 'ompany, lillini,' tlu; several positicjiis of t(en- 
eral freight a).{ent, auditor, and general li(ke1 a^M-nt, siiccessiv(dy. Thediils of 
orjfanizin^i and syslemati/.infr each of t hrse dep.irl ments (levolv(!d upon him, li;t\ in^^ 
clone which he turned them over, one .ilier the other, to his prexious sub(jrdinat(;s. 
The system of accounts, and the met hods o I (oihIik t in;^ the freij^ht .and 1 ickel hiisi- 
ness, established by him, h.i\e been i losely lollowed by all the west<rn ro.ids, and 
((jnstitute the basis (jf th(; e.\l(!nded systiMns now in i^eneral use in t his section of 
the country. While t^encjral ticket af^ent h(; devised an orij^inal ionn of ticket-case 
for coupon tick(;ts, in which the tickets are sns|jended in titers, projectinj^ success- 
ively fr(jm tojj to bottom, which soon came into jieneral us(; throughout the conn- 
try, and is the only kind of case now in use for the |)ur|)ose. lie securt^d letters 
patJMit for this m«;thod of arran)4(;ment, which \)rnv(:(l very remunerative until th<;ir 
(fxpiration in i<S8o. 

In 1X65 Mr. IJac(jn determined to en^ane in |>rival(.- business, and associated 
with hims(;lf layman Everingham, then freif^ht aj^ent at Milwaukee, of the La 
Crosse & Milwaukee Railroad (now the La Crosse division of the Chlcaj^o, Mil- 
waukee & St. Raul Railway! , and organized the firm of Bacon & ICverinjrham, 
j^rain commission m(;rchants, en(.fajrinf.( in the receivin^ branch f)f thr; business. 
The business has been continued up to the jiresiMit time, the hnn h.ivinj; been 
chan^ied to !•,. V. H.i<<in iK- Company in i's77. Mr. I'.vt-rini^h.im haviii;^ willnlrawn 



4-6 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



and established himself in Chicago in the same line of business. The business 
was begun in a small way and with very moderate capital, but grew rapidly and in 
a few years the house was recognized as among the first in the trade, and has been 
regarded for many years past as one of the strongest in its line in the country. In 
1890 George H. D. Johnson and George W. Powers, former valued employes for 
many years, were admitted to partnership, the firm name remaining unchanged. 

Mr. Bacon has exerted an important influence in the commercial activities and 
religious interests of the city of Milwaukee and in the educational interests of the 
State. On first coming to the city in 1856, he identified himself with the Plymouth 
Congregational Church, with which his connection continued for a period of six- 
teen years, when he transferred his membership to the Immanuel Presbyterian 
Church, with which he is still connected. He was a trustee of this society for six 
years, and was president of the board during his last term of office. He was mainly 
instrumental in reducing and finally removing a long standing indebtedness of the 
society, incurred in the erection of its magnificent church edifice, which was com- 
pleted in 1876. He was one of the prime movers in the original organization of the 
Young Men's Christian Association in the city of Milwaukee in 1857, of which he was 
vice-president, and, in fact, acting president. He was again president of the asso- 
ciation from 1879 to 1881, during which time it was placed upon a sounder financial 
footing than before, and plans were formed for the erection of a suitable building 
for the use of the association, which were carried to successful completion during the 
next few years, largely through his instrumentality, in the erection of one of the 
finest and most practical buildings for the purposes of such associations in the West. 

During an active connection with the Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce since 
the year 1865, Mr. Bacon has taken a prominent part in affairs affecting its pros- 
perity and usefulness in relation to the commercial interests of the city of Milwau- 
kee. He was the leader in a vigorous contest inaugurated in 1883, and carried on 
for several years, by the Chamber of Commerce, to secure more equitable treat- 
ment on the part of the principal western railroad lines having terminals both at 
Milwaukee and Chicago, which finally resulted in important benefits to the busi- 
ness of the city. He was a member of the board of directors for ten years, from 
1883 to 1893, six of which he served as a director, two as vice-president, and the 
last two years as president. He was frequently called upon to act as a delegate to 
commercial conventions, and was chosen to represent the Chamber of Commerce 
for several years in succession as member of the National Board of Trade, and 
was elected one of the vice-presidents of that body from year to year, from 1884 to 
1889. He was appointed on a committee of the National Board of Trade to urge 
the passage of the Inter-State Commerce act, which was then pending in Congress, 
and performed effective service in this direction. He was also delegated by the 
Chamber of Commerce of Milwaukee on several occasions to appear before com- 
mittees of Congress in opposition to the free and unlimited coinage of silver and 
the passage of the so-called "anti-option" bill, laying a prohibitory tax upon con- 
tracts for the purchase and sale of cotton, grain and provisions for future delivery. 
His forcible arguments and statistics on the latter subject were quoted effectively 
in debate by one of the prominent opponents of the measure in the United States 
Senate. 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 47 

Upon retiring from the presidency of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Bacon 
in a brief address described his connection with that body, and as it is full of inter- 
esting statements the address is here reproduced in full: 

"In retiring from the office with which you have seen fit to honor me for two 
successive terms, I wish to express my sincere appreciation of the kind considera- 
tion uniformly accorded to me in the discharge of the important and sometimes 
delicate duties of the office, and of your hearty co-operation in carrying out the 
varied requirements and purposes of our complex organization. This occasion 
completes a ten-years period of ccmtinuous service as a member of your board of 
directors, which has been a period of special interest in the history of the Chamber, 
it having been one of marked recuperation in business. The receipts of grain for 
the three years preceding that period receded to the smallest volume witnessed 
since the establishment of this market, the yearly average amounting to less than 
sixteen million bushels, and an impression prevailed quite extensively that the 
grain trade of Milwaukee had seen its best days and was past resuscitation. In- 
creasing activity and enlargement in local industries requiring supplies of grain of 
various kinds resulted in a moderate increase of receipts, and the volume for the 
last three years of the decade shows an annual average of over thirty million 
bushels, almost double that of the corresponding period previously referred to. 
The receipts of the past year exceed those of any previous year in the history of 
the grain trade of this city by upwards of four million bushels, having been nearly 
thirty-seven million bushels. The shipping business in grain has also shown a 
gratifying increase, although it has not reached its old-time dimensions. Indica- 
tions are favorable for its further development, and this branch of the trade affords 
an inviting field for future enterprise. 

"This turning of the tide in the affairs of the grain trade of this market is 
mainly the result of the enterprise and energy of those engaged in its various 
branches, combined with the natural advantages of the location of the city, it being 
l)articularly favorable to milling interests, on account of its accessibility to the 
wheat product of all sections of the West, giving millers the command of all varie- 
ties and descriptions of wheat for their use, on equal terms with the most favored 
localities with reference to cost of transportation of the raw material from the 
various fields of production, and also of the manufactured product to the centers 
of distribution and consumption. This location is also regarded as a very advant- 
ageous one for the manufacture of malt, on account of favorable conditions of 
climate and atmosphere, together with excellent facilities of transportation, under 
the influence of which this industry has shown a remarkable development in the 
past fey/ years. 

"I see no reason to doubt that this era of progress will be of long continuance, 
and that the future of the grain trade of this city will far surpass its previous 
records in all its branches. 

"The honor you have conferred ui)on me and the good will manifested toward 
me during my administration as ^-our presiding officer, will be held in lasting 
remembrance. Yours very respectfully, 

"E. P. Bacon." 



40 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Mr. Bacon is possessed of a creative mind, and has devised several methods to 
facilitate the accurate transaction of business. While a director of the Chamber 
of Commerce a new and very effective weighing system was inaugurated. By this 
system all grain delivered from the cars is weighed over two sets of scales before 
delivery. One set of scales is operated by the railroad company, the other by the 
Chamber of Commerce, and one is checked against the other. The weighing of 
grain by the buyer or elevator proprietor is also supervised by an official weigher 
of the Chamber of Commerce. Through his instrumentality several beneficial 
changes have also been made in the mode of ir^specting grain. 

Mr. Bacon has strongly advocated the adoption of an international uniform 
standard of weights and measures, and his high standing among the most promi- 
nent business men of the country has caused his efforts to attract a great amount 
of attention. He was called upon to prepare a paper upon this subject for the 
Board of Trade Congress, held at the World's Fair in Chicago. He handled his 
subject in a masterly manner, and he has probably laid the foundations for future 
action in this important matter. 

Mr. Bacon has been a liberal contributor to educational enterprises of various 
kinds in the city and State, and has rendered much personal service in their pro- 
motion. He is at the present time one of the trustees of Beloit College. He is 
also actively interested in aiding , young men personally in securing a liberal 
education. 

On the occurrence of the great fire at Milwaukee, on the night of October 28, 
1S92, Mr. Bacon issued a call for a mass-meeting of citizens, through the public press 
the following morning, for the purpose of taking prompt measures for the relief 
of the sufferers. The meeting was largely attended, and a committee on organ- 
ization and control was created, of which Mr. Bacon was made chairman. This 
committee was charged with the responsibility of raising funds and dispensing re- 
lief, with authority to appoint such committees of co-operation as it might deem 
best. The work of relief was promptly undertaken, and before noon provision 
was made for feeding the vast number who had been made homeless, and before 
night all were provided with shelter and comfortable beds. Money was poured 
into the hands of the committee, without solicitation, to the amount of upwards of 
one hvuidred and thirty-five thousand dollars, within a few days, almost wholly by 
citizens of Milwaukee, proffered aid from other cities having been thankfully de- 
clined, e.Kcepting in a few special instances. The sufferers were soon located in 
new homes and provided with needed furniture and clothing, and such further 
assistance in individual cases as circumstances seemed to require. 

Mr. Bacon was united in marriage to Emma Rogers Hobbs, of Paterson, New 
Jersey, on the 18th of May, 1858, and was bereft of his estimable wife by death on 
the 2ist of August, 1892. F"our children have been born to them, the oldest and 
youngest of whom were taken from them by death, the former on reaching the 
dawn of womanhood, and the latter, also a daughter, in early childhood, both 
within a space of a few weeks, early in the year 1879. Of the two surviving chil- 
dren, Lilian, the elder, was married July 31, 1890, to Rollin B. Mallory, a promising 
young lawyer of- Milwaukee; and Frank Rogers, the younger, has recently com- 
menced his business education with the firm of which his father is the head. 



^^'i^'- 




^^(Z(^CJ ^^^ 




RErKESENTATI\"E MEN OF IHE UNITED STATES) WISCONSIN VOLUME. 5 1 

HON. MOSES M. STRONG, 

MINERAL POINT. 

HON. MOSES McCURE STRONG was of Puritan stock. His paternal 
ancestor, Elder John Strong, emigrated to America in 1629, and settled at 
Dorchester, Massachusetts. He died attheageofninety-fouryears, at Northampton. 
The father of Mr. Strong was educated as a lawyer and became distinguished at 
the bar. In 1825 he was called to the bench, whence he retired to private life. Moses 
McCure Strong was born at Rutland, Vermont, May 20, 1810. He derived his earliest 
educational instruction from his mother. He was five years at the village school, 
thence went to the grammar school at Castleton, Vermont. In 1825 he entered the 
freshman class of Middlebury College, Vermont. Three years after, he joined the 
senior class of Dartmouth College, where he graduated in 1829. Having gradu- 
ated, he entered the law office of Rodney C. Royce, and at the expiration of one 
year he entered the law school at Litchfield, Connecticut, where he remained one 
year, when, after a thorough examination in open court by the judges and mem- 
bers of the bar, he was admitted to practice in all the courts of Connecticut. In 
1836 he removed to Wisconsin. In July, 1832, Mr. Strong was married to Miss 
Caroline Frances Green, daughter of Dr. Isaac Green, of Windsor, Vermont. In 
1833 he received the appointment of deputy surveyor general of the State of Ver- 
mont. In 1835, when the democratic and whig parties were being organized for 
the approaching presidential election, although Mr. Strong's father and numerous 
relatives were all whigs, yet the leading measures of Jackson's administration met 
his approval, and he cut loose from his political associations, and supported Mr. 
\'an Buren for the presidency. In 1836, while at Washington City, he was engaged 
by Governor Hubbard and others to invest large sums of money in government 
lands, and under their directions he went directly to Mineral Point, in Wisconsin, 
and invested the funds intrusted to him. Upon his arrival he opened a law and 
land agency office, and has made that place his home ever since. In 1837 Mr. 
Strong received an appointment from General Lytle, for surveying government 
lands on the west side of the Mississippi river, in what is now Jackson and Du- 
buque counties. In 1838 he was appointed United .States attorney for the Territory 
of Wisconsin, which office he held three years, discharging its duties with punctu- 
ality and ability, and acquiring high professional distinction. In 1841 Mr. Strong 
was elected a member of the legislative council, to fill a vacancy, and in 1842 was 
re-elected for the full term of four years, in which he took a prominent and active 
part in all questions brought before it, and was twice elected as its president. He 
was elected as one of the delegates to the convention which assembled in Madison 
in 1846, and took a lead inj? part in framing the first constitution. This constitution 
was submitted to the people for adoption, and, after very exciting discussions 
throughout the State, was rejected. Another constitution was adopted in P'ebru- 
ary, 1848, and ratified by the people in March of that year. In November, 1849, 
Mr. Strong was elected to the assembly, and, at the meeting of the legislature, in 
1850, was chosen speaker. The session lasted thirty-four days, being the shortest 
ever hdd in the St.ilc. mainly due to the proni])tness and abilitv of the speaker. 



52 moGRArincAL dictionary and portrait gallery of the 

In 1852 he devoted much of his time in aiding the construction of the La 
Crosse & Milwaulvee raih-oad, and afterward in constructing the Mineral Point 
railroad. He drew up the charter of the La Crosse railroad, and its adoption was 
due chiefly to his efforts. He was elected its first president, and continued in its 
management until the linancial disaster of 1857. He was also president of the 
Mineral Point railroad, which he materially benefited by successful arrangements 
with the Illinois Central and Galena & Chicago railroads. Mr. Strong spent six 
years in promoting the success of these enterprises, which withdrew him from his 
jjrofession of the law, aiul it required years of laborious effort to regain what he 
had lost. 

Mr. Strong, from early education and habit of thought, was a firm believer in the 
Christian religion, and being attracted by the beautiful and classic liturgy of the 
Episcopal Church, he took an active part in organizing a church in Vermont, and 
was a member of the vestry. On removing to Mineral Point he, with a few other 
churchmen, organized Trinity Church in that parish, of which he was ever after- 
ward a vestryman, and in which he received the rite of confirmation at the hands 
of Bishop Kemper. After that he was a regular communicant and frequently 
a delegate to the diocesan convention. His religious character had nothing of 
asceticism in it. He always indulged in the innocent amusements of life. 
After 1858 he avoided public life, and confined himself chiefly to his pro- 
fessional duties in the practice of the law. 

Mr. Strong had two children: a son, Moses, born in 1846, and a daughter, 
Agnes. In 1863 the two children went with their mother to New Haven, Connecti- 
cut, she remaining with them four years, when his son completed his collegiate 
course at Yale College, graduating in 1867, at the age of twenty-one. His daugh- 
ter during the same time was educated at the Ladies' School, in charge of the 
Misses Edwards. 

Mr. Strong's son remained one year longer in the Sheffield Scientific School, 
connected with Yale, with the view of qualifying himself for the profession of a 
mining engineer. He was then sent to Germany, where he spent two years in the 
best mining schools of the country. On his return to America in 1870, he engaged 
in railroad engineering, until 1873, when he was appointed Assistant State Geolo- 
gist, and it was while engaged in the duties of this office that he lost his life by 
drowning in the F"lambeau river, in 1877. 

In 1885 the Wisconsin Legislature established a State Board of Examiners of 
applicants for admission to the bar, consisting of five members. Our subject was 
one of the original members, and has been successively reappointed to that posi- 
tion, and in addition has been president of the board continuously ever since his 
original appointment. 

He was also president of the State Bar Association from its organization in 
January, 1878, to August, 1893, at which latter date he tendered his resignation. 

As a writer Mr. Strong possessed marked strength. Among his more im- 
portant contributions to literature may be mentioned his History of the Territory 
of Wisconsin, from 1836 to 1848, preceded by an account of some events during 
the period in which it was under the domination of kings. States or other terri- 



RKPRESliNTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 53 

torieiT, previous to the year 1836, which was published by the State in 1885. He 
also wrote many valuable papers, and delivered innumerable instructive addresses 
treating of legal and historical subjects. 

Nature endowed Mr. Strong with some rare gifts, among them a vigorous 
physical constitution, an intellectual ability of a high order, logical, discriminating 
and comprehensive. He was an able debater, a close reasone'r, an impressive and 
occasionally an eloquent speaker. He has acquired an enviable reputation at the 
bar and in the legislative councils, in which bodies, as a parliamentarian and pre- 
siding officer, he had no superior in the State. But his knowledge of the prin- 
ciples of law, his calm deliberation, his logical power and his analytical acumen, 
Ix^tter fitted him for the bench than the bar. 

Mr. Strong, throughout his long life, was an ardent and consistent attendant 
upon the services of the Episcopal Church, and scarcely a diocesan council was 
ever held in this diocese that he did not take an active part in it. He was found 
at his best as a parliamentarian or presiding officer. Debates between him and 
Dr. Adams, of Nashotah, were features of almost every diocesan council. At the 
last session of the Episcopal council of the diocese of Milwaukee, Mr. Strong was 
appointed first chancellor. 

Mr. Strong died at his home in Mineral Point, on the 20th of July, 1894, aged 
eighty-four years. His death was mourned throughout the State, for in every city, 
village and hamlet he was known and loved. 



HORACE A. TAYLOR, 



HORACE ADOLPHUS TAYLOR was born in Norfolk, St. Lawrence county, 
New York, May 24, 1837, and was the youngest of five children, three sons 
and two daughters, born to Rev. Adolphus Taylor, a Congregational clergyman, 
and his wife, Orra, ncc Copeland. 

The paternal ancestors of our subject were among the early settlers of Ver- 
mont, but for two or three generations preceding his birth his progenitors resided 
in northern New York. His mother was a native of Pennsylvania. 

In 1843, when Horace was six years of age, his father met an untimely death 
l)y being fatally kicked by a horse, and his mother was left with her family of chil- 
dren and with but little means for their support. Horace attended the common 
schools of Madrid, St. Lawrence county. New York, until he was ten years of age. 
He early displayed a spirit of independence and self-reliance, and determined to 
make his own way in the world. He journeyed westward, in 1847, to Hancock 
county, Illinois, where he engaged in work as a farm hand until 1850. Three years 
later he worked on a farm in that part of St. Croix county, Wisconsin, of which 
Pierce county is now formed, and where the town of River Falls was afterward 
built. Before he was fourteen years of age he had put in four years of hard and 



54 BIOGRArillCAl. DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Steady work. He was economical and saved nearly three hnndred dollars out of 
his wages. He then returned to St. Lawrence county, New York, and began a 
course of study at the Pottsdam Academy. He w^orked during the summer months 
and attended the academy in the winter, paying for his tuition and his expenses out 
of his savings. In 1855, having reached the age of eighteen years, he determined 
to locate in some undeveloped section of the West and grow up with the country. 
Therefore he returned to River Falls, Wisconsin, where he began work upon a 
farm. The opportunities for advancement in that occupation were not sufficient 
for a youth of his ambitious nature. Therefore he discontinued farm work and 
purchased a stage and horses, which he drove between Hudson and Prescott, which 
at that time were two of the most important towns in the Northwest. As the 
operator of the stage line he was successful and succeeded in accumulating some 
money. He early in life displayed keen perception in conducting business affairs, 
and doubtless from his New England ancestors inherited a propensity for trading, 
consequently he seized an advantageous opportunity to trade his stage line for real 
estate. Shortly thereafter he converted his real estate into cash, with which he 
purchased the material necessary to conduct a newspaper; and, associated with his 
brother. Lute A. Taylor, he established the River Falls Journal, and issued the first 
paper June 13, 1857, when he was but a few days over twenty years of age. Three 
years later he presented his interest in the River Falls Journal to his brother Lute, 
and went to Hudson, where he purchased the Hudson Chronicle and changed its 
name to the Hudson Times. Shortly thereafter he purchased the Hudson North 
Star, and consolidating the two papers under the name of the Hudson Star and 
Times, continued to publish the paper under that title, and for over thirty years its 
proprietorship was vested in his name, although during the later years of his 
ownership he was not actively engaged in its management, but he always controlled 
its policy. In the management of the Hudson Star and Times, Mr. Taylor dis- 
played the same degree of business ability as he has shown in all of his affairs, and 
his efforts were rewarded with substantial financial returns. As profits accumu- 
lated he invested his surplus in real estate, timber lands, financial institutions and 
lumber manufacturing plants, and he soon became possessed of a substantial com- 
petency, the reward of his energy, perseverance and sound judgment. 

In 1869 our subject, in association with his brother Lute, established the La 
Crosse Daily and Weekly Leader, which they sold out some three years later, when 
the Leader and the Republican were consolidated under the name of the La Crosse 
Republican and Leader, which is still published. 

Shortly after the passage of the act authorizing national banks, Mr. Taylor par- 
ticipated in the organization of the First National Bank of Hudson, and served as 
a member of its board of directors for many years, but resigned his directorship 
when he removed to Washington, in 18S9. He is, however, still a stockholder of that 
institution. From 1883 to 1890 he acted as president and general manager of the 
Hudson Lumber Company, of which he was the largest stockholder. He sold out 
his interests in the lumber company in 1890, and in February of that year he pur- 
chased the plant of the Wisconsin State Journal. Some months later he organized 
the State Journal Printing Company, which is capitalized for one hundred thousand 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OE IllE UNnED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 55 

dollars, and has since acted as president of that corporation. In addition to pub- 
lishin<f the Wisconsin State Journal, the company is one of the most extensive 
l)riiUers of law books in the United States, and is iriven the preference upon con- 
tracts by law book publishers in all sections of the country, its trade in this branch 
extending from Maine to Puget Sound and from Lake Superior to the Gulf of 
Mexico. Mr. Taylor is also president of the Uwharrie Gold Mining Company, of 
Montgomery county, North Carolina. He now devotes most of his time and atten- 
tion to the interests of the State Journal Printing Company, but a large amount of 
his capital is invested in real estate in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Marj'- 
land antl California. 

Politically, Mr. Taylor has always affiliated with the Republican party, and has 
always used his influence in behalf of the party during its campaigns. As the pro- 
l)rietor of a newspaper he ever strongly advocated the perpetuation of Republican 
])rinciples, and he has been of valuable assistance to the cause of Republicanism 
for over thirty-five years. In 1876 he was appointed State Timber Agent by Gov- 
ernor Ludington. In this position he succeeded six other men, who divided the 
duties of the office, which were to protect the timber from trespass. He actively 
entered upon his duties and succeeded in doing far more to prevent trespass and 
robbery than had ever before been accomplished in that direction. So well did he 
till the position that he was again appointed by Governor Smith, who succeeded 
Governor Ludington, and was reappointed by Governor Smith during his second 
term, but he resigned in 1881 to accept an appointment as United States Consul at 
Marseilles, France, tendered him by President Garfield through the Secretary of 
State, James G. Blaine. The appointment was made without solicitation. Mr. Tay- 
lor remained in Europe until 1883, and during the winter of 1882-83 traveled ex- 
tensively over northern Africa. He had previously made a tour of Europe in 1878, 
and by visiting, as he did, the Mediterranean ports in 1882 and 1883, and by his 
tours of tbe United States during the past thirty-five years, it can truthfully be 
stated that he has visited most of the civilized sections on the globe. 

After his return to Hudson, in 1883, Mr. Taylor devoted his time and attention 
to his business interests, which were heretofore described. In 1888 he was elected 
to the Wisconsin State Senate, but resigned the following year to accept the ap- 
pointment of Railroad Commissioner, made by President Harrison. He was also 
honored by the President with an appointment as a member of the board of com- 
missioners having charge of the (iovernment exhibit at the Columbian Exposition, 
representing the Department of the Interior in that commission. Mr. Taylor was 
succeeded as Railroad Commissioner by General Wade Hampton, March 15, 1893, 
and in July, 1893, having finished his labor in connection with the Columbian Ex- 
position, he tendered his resignation, which was accepted. 

Mr. Taylor has been active in all the campaigns of the Republican party, and 
has acted as a delegate to most of the State and Congressional conventions. In 
1876 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention held at Cincinnati, 
and was one of the stanchest adherents of Blaine. In 1884 he acted in a like 
capacity at the convention held in Chicago, but, believing that President Arthur 
was the strongest candidate before the convention, he gave him his unqualified 



56 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

support, althouorh he was a firm friend and stanch athiiirer of the " IMunied Knight 
of the North." Mr. Taylor's name has twice been brought before the people as that 
of an available candidate for the Governorship, but in both instances he subserved his 
personal interests to party harmony. From i88.s to 18S7 he was chairman of the Re- 
publican State Central Committee. 

He was married November 12, i860, in Chicago, Illinois, to Lizzie E. Madden, a 
native of Lockport, New York. They were blessed with three children: Florence 
E., now Mrs. Ray S. Reid, wife of Judge Reid, of La Crosse, Wisconsin; Willis 
A., who died in May, 1893, aged twenty-five years; and Grace E. 

Mr. Taylor's career should serve as a lesson to the young. He began his career 
under the most adverse circumstances. He was compelled to make his own way in 
the world when he was but ten years of age, and his success in life illustrates most 
forcibly the power of patient and persistent efforts and self-reliance. He has made 
an honorable success of his life. He has so conducted all affairs, whether of pri- 
vate interests or of public trust, as to merit the esteem of all classes of citizens, and 
no word of reproach is ever uttered against him. As a man and citizen he enjoys 
the added popularity which comes to those genial spirits who have a hearty shake 
of the hand for all those with whom they come in contact from day to day, and who 
seem to throw around them in consequence so much of the sunshine of life. 



HON. MICHAEL GRIFFIN, 

EAU CLAIRE. 

IN the profession of law more than any other is "the career open to talent." In 
it success can be obtained only by indomitable energy, perseverance and 
patience, combined with intellectual power. Success at the bar means arduous 
years of toil, years of constant application illy remunerated. He whose name 
heads this biography has risen to the high position he now occupies entirely 
through his own exertions. He was born in county Clare, Ireland, September g, 
1842. In 1847 his parents emigrated to America, and after a short time spent in 
Canada, in 185 1 they moved to Hudson, Summit county, Ohio, where the boy at- 
tended the common schools. In 1856 the family moved to Wisconsin, locating in 
Newport, Sauk county, where he continued his studies in the district school. 

In the time of excitement immediately preceding the outbreaking of the re- 
bellion, his patriotism was frequently aroused, and he determined that in case of 
war he would tender his services to his country. He enlisted at the age of nine- 
teen, September 11, 1861, in what became Company E of the Twelfth Wisconsin 
Volunteer Infantry. He was with the rest of the company mustered into the 
United States service November 5, 1861, and was appointed Sergeant on the same 
day. January 1 1, 1862, the regiment left Wisconsin, being ordered to Fort Leaven- 
worth. March i, it was ordered to Fort Scott, and thence to Fort Riley, on a pros- 
pective expedition to New Mexico. At Fort Riley orders to return to Leavenworth 






^- 



REPRESENTAinK MKN OK TUK UNITED STATES) WISCONSIN VOLUME. 59 

were received. From Leavenworth the regiment descended the Missouri and Mis- 
sissippi rivers by boat to Columbus, and thence by rail to Corinth, where they 
joined Grant's army. They then marched to Bolivar, Mississippi, thence below 
Holly Springs, then after the capture of Holly Springs by the Confederate General 
Van Dorn, the retrograde movement of Grant's army was begun, and the entire 
command marched by way of Memphis, with Vicksburg as its objective point. 

After the siege of Vicksburg they marched to Jackson and engaged in a fight 
with Joe Johnston; thence they marched to Natchez, then to Harrisburg, Louisiana, 
where they captured a Confederate fort and a number of prisoners, and returned 
to Natchez and then to Vicksburg, and, after veteranizing, participated in Sher- 
man's campaign against Meridian. During the ensuing winter the regiment re- 
enlisted as veterans and returned home on furlough. The furlough having expired, 
they returned to Cairo, ascended the Tennessee river to Clifton, Tennessee, crossed 
the mountains to Huntsville, Alabama, and then to Rome, Georgia, and joined 
Sherman's army while under fire, at Big Shanty, Georgia, and participated in the 
various engagements of the Atlanta campaign and in the march to the sea. At the 
battle of Bald Hill, Atlanta, Georgia, July 21, 1864, our subject was wounded in a 
charge upon the works of the enemy. He was marching beside his men when a 
small shot entered his head on the left side of his nose and passed into his right 
jaw. He was rendered temporarily insensible, but upon becoming conscious he 
was delighted to perceive that the enemy had been driven from his position and 
that the Union soldiers were in possession of the enemy's works. He was ordered 
to the hospital, and, although suffering severe pain, assisted the surgeons in tend- 
ing the more seriously wounded. 

An incident showing his pluck and self-reliance occurred during the fallowing 
day. Hearing the noise of battle, and perceiving from the location of the fight 
that his regiment was attacked, he rushed from the hospital to the front and took 
his place with the company. Having been placed on the list of wounded, he was, 
upon the roll-call in the hospital, discovered to be missing and was reported as a 
deserter. His Colonel was notified and amusingly replied that "he wished all the 
soldiers in the hospital would desert in the manner Sergeant Griffin did." He was 
commissioned Second Lieutenant, February 11, 1865, and mustered on the 30th of 
the following March. He was commissioned First Lieutenant, July 5, 1865, but 
owing to the close of the war he did not muster as such until several years later, 
and then only to complete the record. He was mustered out of the service July 
16, 1865, because of the close of the war. He then returned to Newport, and 
during the following fall he began to read law in the office of Hon. Jonathan Bow- 
man, of Kilbourn City, Wisconsin. He was admitted to the bar of the circuit 
court at Portage City, May 19, 1868, and entered on the practice of his profession 
in Kilbourn City, where he resided until 1876. In addition to his professional 
duties from 1871 to 1876, he also acted as cashier of the Bank of Kilbourn. While 
a resident of Kilbourn City he held the office of Town Clerk, and was a member 
of the County Board of Supervisors. In 1875 he was elected to the Assembly from 
the first district of Columbia county. In the Legislature he at once took a promi- 
nent position, and, although quite young at that time, was appointed chairman of 



6o BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

the Committee on Judiciary, the most important of the House committees. He 
was also a member of the Committee on Privileges and Elections. This commit- 
tee had two contested seat cases of more than usual importance brought before it. 
These contests led to a most peculiar fight in the body. It finally decided to per- 
mit the contestants to appear by attorney before the House, to plead their cases. 
Mr. Griffin appeared for Bennett against Gray, and through his efforts and because 
of his faithful work, Gray, the Democrat, was unseated, and Bennett, a Republi- 
can, given his place in the House. He was also a member of the joint committee 
that investigated the administrations of Governors Washburn and Taylor, and con- 
ducted the proceedings on behalf of the committee. 

At the close of session of 1876 he moved to Eau Claire, where he has since re- 
sided, and has been actively engaged in the practice of law. He was appointed 
City Attorney in 1878, and reappointed in 1879 and again in 1880. In 1879 he was 
elected State Senator from the Thirteenth Senatorial district, comprising the coun- 
ties of Dunn, Eau Claire and Pierce, and served as a member of the Committee on 
Judiciary, and chairman of the Committee on Federal Relations of the Senate for 
two sessions of his term as Senator. He was an active and useful member both of 
the House and the Senate, reflecting credit upon himself and his constituents. 

In 1889 he was appointed by Governor W. D. Hoard, Quartermaster General 
of the State, with the rank of Brigadier General under the law. During the two 
years he occupied that position the Wisconsin rifle range for the militia was estab- 
lished at Camp Douglas, and out of the first appropriation made by the State he 
purchased the land and directed the construction of suitable buildings for that pur- 
pose. He has always taken a great interest in the welfare of the militia, as well as 
of the old soldiers, and in recognition of his earnest support one of the local mili- 
tia companies has honored him by adopting the title of " Griffin Rifles " as its name. 

General Griffin has been an active member of the Grand Army of the Repub- 
lic since its organization, and has occupied many positions of trust in that body. 
He served several times as Post Commander, and for two years served as Judge 
Advocate of the Department of Wisconsin. In February, 1887, he was elected De- 
partment Commander, and served one year. As Department Commander he 
earnestly devoted himself to the interests of the order and placed its affairs in a 
most satisfactory condition. He is a member of the Wisconsin Commandery, Mili- 
tary Order of the Loyal Legion, also of the commandery, chapter and blue lodge 
of the Masonic fraternity, Knights of Pythias and Royal Arcanum. 

He has always taken a deep interest in the welfare of the Republican party, 
and uses all honorable means in his power to assure success to its candidates 
during the various campaigns. In 1890 he served as chairman of the Republican 
State Convention, that met in Milwaukee for the nomination of State officers. He 
has repeatedly been urged to enter the field for political nominations for high and 
honorable positions, his name being frequently used in connection with Congress- 
ional and gubernatorial honors; but being wedded to his profession he has repeat- 
edly refused the honors urged upon him, using his influence and following in behalf 
of some other worthy Republican, who could devote the necessary time to his 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 6l 

duties \vitln)ut i)ers()nal sacririce, or whom he considered better equipped than he 
for the fray, and he has always and in all instances unselfishly labored for party 
success, and never for personal advancement. 

In the early fall of 1894 the death of Hon. George B. Shaw left his Congress- 
ional district without a Representative. General Griffin yielded to the request of 
his friends and agreed to accept the nomination. His name was brought before the 
convention held in Eau Claire on October 3, 1894, and upon the first ballot he was 
chosen to lead the party to victory. As a man of business Mr. Griffin has displayed 
the same ability as he has in his profession, and has been successful. He is inter- 
ested in the Lea Ingram Lumber Company, of Iron River; Treasurer of the Eau 
Claire Grocery Company, Director of the Badger Pearl Button Company, and a 
stockholder of the Eau Claire National Bank. 

On the 6th of September, 1871, at Kilbourn City, Mr. Griffin was married to 
Miss Emma I. Daniels. They have had but one child, Mabel M., who died when 
eleven months old. 

In his profession Mr. Griffin has been engaged in much of the important litiga- 
tion of his section of the State. He confines his practice to civil law. He is a man 
who thoroughly loves his profession, and he is eminently gifted with the capacities 
of mind which are indispensable to success at the bar. He Is an indefatigable 
worker, and labors as much for the love of his profession as he does for pecuniary 
success. Quick and keen in perception, he has the faculty of grasping all the de- 
tails and intricacies of a case, and not losing sight of the essential facts and con- 
siderations involved in it, upon which the decision in every case finally turns. As 
a lawyer he has been more than ordinarily successful, and occupies a high position 
in the State; as a legislator he was fearless, upright, honest and aggressive; as a 
soldier he served his country with a degree of ardor patriotism alone can inspire, 
and as a citizen he commands the admiration and respect of all parties, irrespective 
of political affiliations or religious creeds. 



JAMES OLIVER RAYMOND, 

STEVENS POINT. 

JAMES OLIVER RAYMOND, son of Edward and Maria (Osbornl Raymond, 
was born in the town of McDonough, Chenango county. New York, on the 30th 
of May^ 1 83 1. His ancestors, both paternal and maternal, were early settlers in New 
England, and at the time of the war for independence they were arrayed on the 
side of the Colonists, fighting patriotically for liberty. In the battle of Bennington 
his mother's grandfather met his death by a British musket ball. 

The early life of the subject of this sketch was passed on his father's farm 
until his thirteenth year. At that time his father died, and the boy then resided 
with an uncle, who was a manufacturer of Tioga county. There he at once made 
himself useful, and gradually increased his knowledge of the business until he 



(,2 HKlCRAriMi Al I i U ' I 1 1 i\ A K N' ANH l'( )KIK A 1 I' CAl.l.KKV < U- 11 1 K 

virtually Had charije of all its branches. In the meantime he attended the 
academy at Newark Valley, New York, and the college at Owego, Tioga county, 
in the same State. His tuition was paid with money he earned by hard work in 
his uncle's employ, lie tlun began teaching school for a livelihood, but his in- 
clination and desires pointed to the profession of law for his life work. He began 
to study law in the office of Hon. John M. Parker, of Owego, New York, who after- 
ward becanii' a nieml)er of Congress, and, later, justice of the Supreme Court of 
the State of New York, in the meantime lie ci)ntinued to teach school, and, by 
this means, was enabled to ])ay his e.xpenses while studying. In the early spring of 
1855 he came West, stopping at P'ond du Lac, where he spent a few months in the 
law office of General E. S. Bragg, where he continued to read law. In the summer 
of i8s5 he located in Plover, Portage county, and during the following winter 
taught school near there. In the spring of 1856 he was admitted to the bar, and in 
May of that year opened a law office, in partnership with Hon. Luther Hanchett, 
who was afterward elected to Congress. This partnershi]) was continued until the 
death of Mr. Hanchett in 1S62. In I'"ebruar>-, iS()5, Mr. Raymond enlisted in the 
army, becoming Orderly Sergeant of Company C, Fifty-Second Wisconsin Infantry, 
and served until the following August, when the regiment was mustered out of the 
service. In 1873 he moved from Plover to Stevens Point, continuing to practice his 
profession.. He is now the senior member of the firm of Raymond, Lamoureaux & 
Park. Politically, Mr. Raymond is a staunch and zealous Republican, a firm be- 
liever in the principles of Republicanism, and a strong advocate of its doctrines. 
His first vote was cast for General Scott, the Whig candidate, in T852, but upon the 
organization of the Republican party he immediately joined its ranks. He has 
frequently lieen lionored with positions of trust. In 1856 he was elected District 
Attorney, and was re-elected in 1858 and again in 1866, serving, in all, six years. 
At the general election in the autumn of 1865, he was elected a member of the 
General Assembly, representing Portage county, serving one year. In April, t88i, 
he was appointed Postmaster of Stevens i'oint, lor a term ot four years, by Presi- 
dent Garfield. 

Mr. Raymond was created a Mason in September, 1857, in Plover Lodge No. 
76, and was Master of the lodge for several years. He is now a member of Ever- 
green Lodge, of Stevens Point, of which he has also been Master, and of Crusade 
Commandery, K. T. He was formerly very active in Masonic circles, but during 
later years has left much of the work of the organization to younger men. He is 
an active member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was commander of the 
Stevens Point Post No. 56 for three years. He has been twice married, the first time 
in October, 1857, to Miss Mary E. Harris, of Canton, Ohio. She had three children, 
one of whom, Mitchell Harris Raymond, assistant cashier of the Merchants' 
National Bank of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, is now living. She died October 18, 
1864. His second marriage occurred April 15, 1867, when he was joined in wedlock 
to Mrs. Lucinda Hartchett, //<r Alban, widow of his former law partner, Hon. 
Luther Hanchett, and daughter of Colonel James S. Alban, of the I'.ighteenth 
Wisconsin regiment, who was killed at the battle of Shiloh. 



RKrKESENTAIlNK MKN OK IIIK UNITKI) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 6_^ 



Mr. Ra\'niond has advanced in his profession from the lowest round of the 
hidder to the top. As a lawyer he ranks among the leaders of the Wisconsin bar 
a bar second to none in the West. He has actively participated in most of the 
litigation of importance engaged in in this section of the State, and has argued no 
less than eighty cases before the Supreme Court of the State, and has frequently 
appeared in the United States Courts. His success is but another instance in which 
hard work and steady application have been rewarded. For over a third of a 
century he has resided in this community, and during all that time h(; has so de- 
meaned himself that both professionally and socially no wortl of rei)roach has ever 
been uttered against him. 



HON. SAM S. FIFIELD, 

ASHLAND. 



s- 



town of Corinna, Maine, June 24, 1839, and is the second of the six children of 
Samuel S. and Naomi (Pease) F"ifield, both members of prominent families in 
that State. 

When our subject was but eight years of age, his mother died, and liis father 
having met with financial reverses, he went to live with an uncle in the city of 
Bangor, and spent the following year as a member of his family. 

His school advantages were meagre, and he had barely acquired the elements 
of the rudimentary branches, when he was compelled to give up attendance at 
school and start in the- battle of life, with no other means than a stout heart and 
willing hands. 

I""or thene.xt five years he was employed in various capacities, such as his age 
and strength would permit, and in 1853 went with his father and younger brother 
to Rock Island, Illinois, arriving at that city the second day in October, in the same 
year. Here they remained during the winter of 1S53 4, Sam securing a situa- 
tion as steward in a liotcl, a jjosition hv relinquished in the spring, in order to 
accompany his father and brother up the Mississippi. 

On the 17th day of April, 1854, they arrived at Prescott, Wisconsin, — their des- 
tination. I lere our subject obtained employment, clerking in various stores, and on 
a steamboat until 1S60, when he accepted a position as apprentice and assistant on 
a newspaper about to be established at Taylor's balls, Minnesota — the Taylor's Falls 
Reporter — the first paper of note in the upper St. Croix valley. 

On the iQth day of February, i860, young Fifield, with the newspaper outfit, 
arrived at Taylor's Falls, and immediately entered upon the duties of his position. 
I lis stay at this point was a brief one for his health became impaired, and in Janu- 
ary, 1861, he was obliged to give up his situation. Hut his short experience in the 
newspaper business gave him a taste for that sort of work, and when, after a rest of 



64 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND rORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



several months, (hiralion, lie was tcMulcrt-d tlie i)osition of lort'iiian oi the St.Croixan, 
a newspaper that had l>een established a few months i)re\iously at St. Croix Falls, 
he at once aecepted it. 

On the 1st of Deceinher the press and material were taken to Osceola Mills, 
the county seat of Polk county, and the Polk County Press was issued, the entire 
type settinjj: and press work hein^ done by Mr. Pifield. 

On the jnd day of .'\pril, 1S62, Mr. iMtield purchased the paper and became 
its editor and proprietor. Its tone was at once changed and from beinj^ a Demo- 
cratic journal it became a strong supporter of the policy inaugurated by Lincoln to 
crush treason and save the Union.. The energy of the new proprietor caused the 
Polk County Press to become a power in its section, and influence and circulation 
increased rai)idl\-. 

As a newspaper man Mr. Pifield soon acquired a prominent position an<l gained 
a wide-spread acquaintance through Wisconsin and the Northwest. 

Huring the years of the rebellion, earnest, patriotic editorials were one of the 
ilistinctive features of his paper, and its policy was ever one of intense loyality. 

After i)eace was declared the Press became the earnest advocate and represen- 
tative of northern Wisconsin, and did much to attract attention to its varied 
resources, and became the leading advocate of Republicanism for the northern 
tier of counties forming the frontier district of Wisconsin, which began to attain 
political importance and return large Republican majorities. 

Puring these years of toil, Mr. Fifield found time to devote to acquiring the 
knowledge he had been deprived of obtaining in early life and at the same time 
accjuired a taste for reading he has since retained. 

About this time the Wisconsin Central Railroad was completed to Ashland, and 
Mr. I'itield decided to move to that city, and join his brother (whom he had already 
established at Bayfield in the printing business) in starting a newspaper at the ter- 
minus of that road. 

lie accordingly tlis|)osed o( his interest in the Polk County Press, antl estab- 
lished with his brother, the Ashland Press. P'or a number of years it was publisheii 
as a weekly jiaper, but became a daily in 1S86, and in 1S88 was sold to its present 
])roprietor. 

During his long connectit)n with this journal, Mr. Pilield employed the same 
methods that were so successfully adopted in the prior venture, and the advance- 
ment of Ashland and northern Wisconsin, was his constant aim, while his loyalty 
to the principles of Republicanism was as intense as e\ cr. 

Since his retirement from the field of journalism he has become largely inter- 
ested in Ashland real estate and business enterprises, besides being owner of the 
P'ifield Block and a number of stores and flats. He is a director and vice president 
of the I'"irst National Bank, of Ashland, and a director of the Ashland National 
Bank, also of the Ashland Lighting and Railway Company, and is vice president of 
the b'xcelsior Stone Company. 

In cvcrNthing pert;i,ining to the advantage of Ashland or its citizens Mv. Pifield is 
a lii)t,'ral contributor. 1 le believes that the value of money is measured by the good 
it w'ill accomplish, and no worthy enterprise appeals to liim for financial aid in vain. 



RErRESENTATlXK MKN OV Tllli UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 65 



I he u^rowth of the city to its present size and prominence is due probably as 
nuKJi 10 the efforts and assistance of Mr. Fifield as to any other one man. 

With the political history of Wisconsin, our subject's life has been closely inter- 
woven. During his residence in Osceola he held several local offices, and at Ash- 
land was the first chairman of the Board of Supervisors. In 1870 he was assistant 
Sergeant-at-Arms of the State Assembly, Sergeant-at-Arms in 1871 and 1872. In 
1874 he was elected to the Assembly by a majority of five hundred and fifty over 
his Democratic opponent, Amos Gray. In 1875 and 1876 he was re-elected by largely 
increased majorities. In 1876 he was chosen Speaker of the Assembly, and it is 
worthy of recording in that connection that politically the Assembly was a tie, — that 
Mr. Fifield was the unanimous choice of the Republican members for the speakership, 
and the deciding votes were cast by two Democrats, who regardless of [)arty lines, 
voted for Mr. Fifield, believing him to be best fitted for the office. 

In the fall of 1876 he was elected State Senator to fill the unexpired term of 
Hon. Henry D. Barron, who had resigned it to accept the judgeship of the eleventh 
judicial circuit. In the fall of 1879 he was again chosen Senator, and while a mem- 
ber of the Senate he was, in 1881, nominated for and elected to the office of Lieu- 
tenant Govenor of the .State, running nearly two thousand xotcs ahead of his 
party ticket, a fact that speaks most forcibly for Mr. Fifield's personal popularity. 

In 1883 he was re-elected to the same position, and by virtue of a constitutional 
amendment, was continued in office an extra year, upon the expiration of the term 
for which he was chosen. 

Since 1886 he has not been a candidate for any elective office. He was how- 
ever, in February, 1890, appointed by President Harrison, Postmaster of Ashland, 
which position he held until November, 1893, when he voluntarily relinquished it. 
Since that time he has not been activ(;ly engaged except in looking after his various 
properties. 

Since his retirement from his editorial duties, he has kept up the habit of 
writing formed in early days, and has contributed a number of interesting articles 
on divers subjects to various publications, not however, for profit, but because of 
a liking for that sort of occupation, and it may be added tli.it his originality of 
thought, and strong individuality of character are forcibly impressed upon the pro- 
ductions of his pen. 

As a relaxation from Inisiness cares Mr. Fifield devotes considerable time in 
the summer months, to cruising in his steam yacht, Stella, on the waters of Lake 
Superior. An association, of which he is president, has been formed, that has estab- 
lished a camping spot on Sand island, one of the Apostles group, forty miles from 
Ashlijnd, where many pleasant weeks are passed, during the heated term, and if 
one can judge from the large collection of photographs of the camp in the posses- 
sion of the (iovernor, it is truly an ideal spot. 

Mr. Fifield's residence at Ashland, Evergreen Cottage, has a delightful loca- 
tion, and from its windows and the spacious lawn surrounding, a most magnificent 
view is obtained of Chequamegon bay. Near the shore, and a short distance from 
the house stands a small building of two rooms, in which with his books and papers 
our subject spends a grc.it deal of Ills spate lime. Its interior walls are adorned 



66 lildCUAIlllCAl, Die IIONARV AND I'OklKAir CALl.EKY OK llIE 



witli (■n,i;i";i\in<4s and photographs of incii who ha\c Ix'cn thi' niakt-rs of W iscoiisin 
history, (hirin<j; the past quarter century, and anion^' tlie faces are thost^ of some of 
Wisconsin's most famous and honored citizens. 

In his Ijoyhood Mr. P'ifield was brought up in the doctrines of the Universalist 
Church, but, since his marriage, has been more reguhir in his attendance at the 
IVesbyterian Church, in which his wife is a leading spirit. 

He is a member of the Masonic order, being a thirty-third degree Scottish Rite 
Mason, a member of Wisconsin Consistory, of Ashland Lodge, Ashland Chapter, 
and of the Commandry. He is also a member of Tripoli Temple, Nobles of the 
Mystic Shrine. 

Mr. Fifield was married September 20, 1863, at Prescott, Wisconsin, to Stella 
Grines. a lady of many attainments, and noble qualities. She had received an 
academic education, and in the .struggles of the early days, was a true help-mate to 
licr husband, for she was, and is, not only a writer of ability, but many times set 
type on the old Polk County Press. 

Mrs. Pifield was one of the Commissioners to the World's Columbian Kx[)osi- 
tion in 181)3, from Wisconsin, and occupied a great deal of her time with the duties 
of that position. 

Her husband's political prominence has brought her in contact with all of the 
more important people of the State, and no lady resident of Wisconsin, is better 
known to its citizens than she. 

Mr. Fifield is a thoroughly self-made man: industry and perseverance together 
with studious habits have been the chief factors of his success in life. The visitor 
to Evergreen Cottage will see over the book-case in the library, a stuffed beaver, — 
and the thought may strike him that it is a source of inspiration to his host, for the 
expression, "Work like a beaver" is one that fittingly applies to the long and useful 
career of Sam S. Fifield. 



HENRY C PAYNE, 

MIIAVAI'KKK. 

np:NRY C. PAYNE, son of Orrin P. and Eliza lAmes) Payne, was born at 
Ashfield, Franklin county, Massachusetts, November 23, 1843. His ancestors, 
both lineal and collateral, were among the early Puritan settlers of his native State. 
His paternal ancestry is traceable to Moses Payne or Paine, who came from Eng- 
land to America in 1630, and settled at Braintree, Massachusetts. At the time of 
his death, he left estates in Braintree, Concord, Cambridge and Piscataqua, and 
having also some interests in England, was a man of considerable fortune. He 
married for his second wife the widow of the first Edmund Quincy, and was a con- 
spicuous figure among the early colonists of Massachusetts. The Ames family came 
originally from the county of Norfolk, England, and is still largely represented in 
tliat countv and Somersetshire. Reverend William Ames, the eminent Puritan 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 69 

theologian whose differences with the h^stablished Church of England, drove him 
into exile in Holland, in the early part of the seventeenth century, and Joseph 
Ames, distinguished as an antiquarian, were members of tlie family whose names 
were historic in the mother country, while in America many of its representatives 
have been accorded unusual distinction. 

Reared in a village, in a modest country homestead, the chief inheritance of 
Henry C. Payne was a vigorous intellect and a capacity for hard work. In the 
Payne homestead industry was considered a cardinal virtue, and his youthful train- 
ing was of the character which so admirably qualifies the New England youth for 
successful effort in broader and more productive fields. In his early boyhood he 
attended the common school and was graduated from Shelburne P^alls Academy in 
1 859. At the beginning of the civil war with patriotic ardor he enlisted in Company 
H, of the Tenth Regiment, Massachusetts Infantry, but his youthfulness and some- 
what diminutive stature combined to thwart his ambition to become a soldier, and 
he turned his attention to commercial pursuits. Restless energy and intense activ- 
ity were as dominant characteristics of the boy as they have since become of the 
man, and before he was twenty j'ears of age he had determined to seek the broad 
tield of western enterprise in beginning life on his own account. 

Estimated in dollars and cents his resources at that time were meager, but in 
mental endowment, pluck and self-reliant manhood he had abundant capital. In 
1S63 he arrived in Milwaukee with fifty dollars in his pocket, and found employ- 
ment soon after his arrival as cashier in a dry goods store. To this business he gave 
his attention for the next four years, becoming recognized by his employer as a 
most capable and efficient man, and by that portion of the general public with which 
he came in contact as a young man of more than ordinary ability and enterprise. 
He was especially conspicuous during the early years of his residence in Milwaukee 
for the interest which he took in promoting culture and self education among the 
young men of the city, and attracted attention also to the capacity for organization 
which has since gained for him much more than local renown, both in the conduct 
of public affairs and business enterprises. He was an early member, if not one of 
the organizers, of the Young Mens' Library Association of Milwaukee, and becom- 
ing its president, contributed largely toward making it one of the leading social and 
intellectual organizations of the State. This association which numbered among 
its members many of the most talented and promising young men in the city, ac- 
quired a valuable collection of books and periodicals which at a later date was 
turned over to the Milwaukee Public Library and formed the nucleus of an institu- 
tion which has since become the pride of the city. As president of the library 
association, Mr. Payne grew rapidly in popular favor and acquired an influence 
which extended to social, political and business circles. Having a natural liking 
for politics and being an earnest and enthusiastic Republican, he took an active 
interest in the presidential campaign of 1872, devoting his energies to the organi- 
zation of the Young Mens' Republican Club of Milwaukee, which at a later date 
became the Republican Central Committee of Milwaukee county, since recognized 
as the official representation of the party in this county. He served at different 
times both as secretary and chairman of the city and county organizations, his 



•JO BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

zeal and ability commanding the enthusiastic admiration and endorsement of his 
political associates, not of Milwaukee only but of the entire State. The result was 
that he was elected to the chairmanship of the Republican State Central Com- 
mittee and entered the broader field of State politics. It soon became apparent 
that in measuring him for increased responsibilities the managers of the Republican 
party in Wisconsin had well subserved its interests, substantial victories being 
achieved time and again under his leadership. His devotion to the interests of his 
party, which he has conscientiously believed to be the best interests of the country 
as well, his admirable judgment, and correct estimates of political situations, have 
commended him to the Republican party at large and given him a commanding 
influence in the councils of the party. Designated by the Republicans of Wisconsin 
to act as their representative on the National Committee, he was called into that 
inner circle of campaign managers known as the National Executive Committee 
and has had much to do with formulating the policies and directing the course of 
the party. In 1880 he sat as a delegate in the National Republican Convention at 
Chicago and was one of the men through whose efforts the nomination of General 
James A. Garfield was consummated. In 1888 he was a delegate at large to the con- 
vention which nominated Genera! Benjamin Harrison, and also headed the Wis- 
consin delegation to the National Convention of 1892 at Minneapolis. 

In 1876 he was appointed Postmaster of Milwaukee by President Grant and 
reappointed to successive terms by Presidents Hayes and Arthur, serving in all ten 
years in this important official capacity. His administration of the postal affairs of 
the city was such as to commend itself to all classes of citizens, regardless of poli- 
tics, for its efficiency, excellence of service and improved methods. Retiring 
from this ofifice in 1886, Mr. Payne has since held no public political positions, 
other than those connected with the campaign work and conventions of the 
party, but has devoted his time and energies entirely to varied and extensive busi- 
ness interests. 

In the conduct of the various business enterprises with which he has been iden- 
tified, he has shown executive ability of such high order as to bring to him con- 
stantly increasing responsibilities. The Wisconsin Telephone Company recognized 
his ability as an organizer and director of affairs, by making him president of that 
corporation in 1885 and he still retains the position. He has also been for some 
years a director of the First National Bank of Milwaukee and president of theMil- 
waukee & Northern Railroad Company. Becoming interested in the Street Railway 
Companyof Milwaukee he was elected vice-president of the Milwaukee and Cream City 
Street railroad companies and when these lines were transferred to the syndicate 
which obtained control of all the street railway property of the city, he was made 
vice-president and general manager of the new corporation. The active manage- 
ment of the affairs of this corporation, with its capital of five millions of dollars and 
one hundred and thirty miles of track is one of the important responsibilities rest- 
ing upon Mr. Payne and a vastly improved service has been the result of his man- 
agement At the meetijng of the American Street Railway Association held in 
Milwaukee in 1893, he was elected president of that organization and his ability as 
a railway manager has been recognized in various ways. 



REI'RESKNTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 71 

In August of 1893, when the affairs of the Northern Pacific Raih'oad Company 
became involved to such an extent as to necessitate placing it in the hands of 
receivers, Mr. Payne was appointed by the United States Court, one of the conserv- 
ators of this vast interest amounting in the aggregate to hundreds of millions of 
dollars. This trust is one of the most important ever committed in whole or in 
part to a citizen of the West and evidences the high esteem in which Mr. Payne is 
held in the business world, while it is also the tribute of a high judicial tribunal to 
his integrity and business capacity. 

In addition to his interests in the corporations already alluded to, he was 
associated with other gentlemen in founding the town of Tomahawk, Wisconsin, 
which in three years has developed into a city of seven thousand inhabitants. He 
was also interested to a considerable extent in building up the towns of Minoccjua 
and Babcock, both flourishing young towns in the timber belt of this State. 

Mr. Payne was married in 1867 to Miss Lydia W. VanDyke, a descendant of 
one of the Colonial families of New York State, and his social and domestic life has 
been as happ)' as his political and business life has been eventful. 



RICHARD C. RUSSELL, 



RICHARD CHAUNCEY RUSSELL, a prominent financier of Wisconsin, a 
son of Alvin Russell, and Sarah nee Marsh, was born, in Sunderland, Massa- 
chusetts, on the 2ist of April, 1830. Mr. Russell is a descendant of Richard Russell, 
who came from Herefordshire, England, in 1612, and settled in New England. His 
father was a carriage manufacturer and was in good financial circumstances until 
the panic of 1837, during which he lost all his property. This sad event threw 
his children, of whom our subject was the youngest but one of six brothers, upon 
their own resources. Richard's early life presented few marked phases, he re- 
ceiving a good education at the Academy at Amherst, Massachusetts, where he 
studied for six years, during all of which time he earned his living by working on a 
farm. Upon the completion of his academic course, he spent the following summer 
working on a farm at North Hadley, Massachusetts, and in the fall of that year spent 
another year in the academy. During the succeeding three years he attended 
lectures in Amherst College, and then engaged in the clothing and general mer- 
chandise business at Amherst, but owing to intense application he broke down 
in health and his physician told him he " must either go West or die." He 
decided upon the former alternative and traveled through the West and the South, 
visiting among other places Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where several acquaintances had 
preceded him. 

In the fall of the same year (1856), Richard returned to Boston, where he was 
offered a position as purchasing partner in an importing house. On account of con- 
tinued ill health, in the spring of 1857, he again started West, stopping at Chicago, 
but not finding the climate of that city favorable to his health he decided not to 
locate there, but proceeded to Minneapolis, where he arranged to open a banking 



72 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

house. The party, however, with whom he was to johi m business failed to 
furnish his share of the capital and the enterprise was abandoned. Mr. Russell 
then again came to Oshkosh, where he decided to locate permanently. In the fall 
of 185S, he opened the first grain warehouse in Oshkosh and did a large business, 
shipping cargoes to New York, via the lakes and the canal. In 1866, after spending 
a year in travel, having accumulated sufficient capital, under the firm name of Rus- 
sell, Leach & Company, he erected a sawmill at Manistee, Michigan, and for three 
years engaged in the manufacturing and shipping of lumber. At the end of two 
years they sold out to Chicago parties and he again returned to Oshkosh. 

In 1869, Mr. Russell started in the banking business as a private banker, and in 
1 87 1 organized the Union National Bank of Oshkosh, of which he was general man- 
ager and cashier for eighteen years. In 1887, associated with George Whiting and 
others, Mr. Russell organized and was made president of the First National Bank of 
Menasha, Wisconsin, Hon. Robert Graham, ex-State superintendent of public in- 
struction, being cashier; Mr. Russell also retained his position in the Union National 
Bank. . In January, 1889, owing to ill health, Mr. Russell resigned his position as 
general manager and cashier of the Union National Bank and spent a year in 
travel. In 1890 the German National Bank was organized and Mr. Russell was 
made president, which position he now holds. At that time he resigned the presi- 
dency of the First National Bank of Menasha. He is also the vice president of the 
Wisconsin River Paper and Pulp Company, and of the Foote-Cornish Milling Com- 
pany, and a director in the Fronteriza Silver Mining Company, of Mexico. He also 
holds an interest in the Plover Paper Company, and is also interested in the Alamo 
Heights Land and Improvement Company, at San Antonio, Texas, and also in the 
Rapid Transit Street Railway of that city, besides many other enterprises. In July, 
1893, Mr. Russell, associated with Stevens Point capitalists, organized the Citizens' 
National Bank of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, with capital $100,000, of which 
Mr. Russell has since acted as president. The bank has recently erected one of the 
finest modern bank and office buildings in the State outside of Milwaukee. 

When a young man, Mr. Russell was identified with the Whig party, and in the 
year 1851 was a delegate to the State convention at Boston. Since that time he 
has been a Republican, although in municipal affairs he has acted independently. He 
has been honored by his fellow-citizens with trustworthy positions. In 1863 he was 
elected Superintendent of Public Instruction in Oshkosh and was re-elected to the 
same office in 1864. It was during his term of office and under his direction that 
the schools were graded, and they are still worked under the same system. In 1864-5 
he represented his district in the Legislature. Subsequently he was offered many 
other political honors, but declined them, preferring to devote his entire time to a 
business career. 

He has traveled quite extensively over the United State;, Canada, and Mexico, 
and the practical knowledge of men and things thus gained, combined with his fine 
executive and financial abilities, has enabled him to turn circumstances to the inter- 
ests of his business and tqmake it in every way successful. 

Mr. Russell was married in July, 1858, to Miss Maggie F. Rierdon, at her fath- 
er's residence, in Oshkosh. They have had three children, two of whom survive 



RErRESENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 73 

and both are niarried. Richard, horn March iq, 1861, married Miss Lizzie Hen- 
derson, dauijhter of judge \V. B. Henderson, of San Antonio. Texas: he received 
his education at Notre Dame College and the Wisconsin University; Gertrude 
married Arthur A. Wakefield, of Milwaukee; Hope, the eldest, a graduate of 
St. Mary's Academj-, Notre Dame, Indiana, and valedictorian of her class, died 
November 17, 18S0. Mr. Russell's present business and social standing is wholly 
due to his own efforts and he may be most appropriatelj' called a self-made man. 
While he has been deeply engrossed in his business affairs, he has yet given much 
time to reading and self-culture, and by constant effort has developed a noble char- 
acter that does not fail to impress all with whom he has to do, with a sense of his 
merit and genuine worth. He early inlife developed a taste for literature and notwith- 
standing his great business responsibilities, he has found time to lecture on various, 
subjects of public interest. He is deeply interested in the welfare of young men, 
giving them the benefit of his experience and counsel, and often assisting them in a 
financial way. In religious matters his views are broad and liberal. In early life 
he united with the Congregational Church at Amherst, Massachusetts, and has 
been identified with that society ever since. 

Mr. Russell has earned the distinction of being one of the most successful and 
far-seeing financiers of the State of Wisconsin. He is well grounded in commercial 
law and thoroughly understands all legal questions referring to financial and com- 
mercial affairs. Having risen to his present position through his own untiring 
industry, he has a clear conception of the rights, feelings and needs of all 
classes, and some of his utterances upon the issues raised by the laboring classes 
have been so fair and eminently sound that his views have commanded respect. 



HOX. CHARLES B. CLARK, 



WITH the death of Hon. Charles Benjamin Clark, September 10, 1891, at 
Theresa, New York, whither he had gone in quest of health, there passed 
away another member of that little group of distinctively great manufacturers who 
were the pioneers in inaugurating and building up the chief industries of the west- 
ern middle States. His name is familiar to a vast humber of people in the West and 
especially to the laboring classes of Wisconsin. He was identified with this portion 
of the country for more than a third of a century and contrii)uted to its develop- 
ment,to an extent equaled by few of his contemporaries. 

He early had the sagacity and prescience to discern the eminence which the 
future had in store for this great and growing country, and acting in accordance 
with the dictates of his faith and judgment, he reaped, in the fulness of time, the 
generous benefits which are the just recompense of indomitable industry, spotless 
integrity, and marvelous enterprise. 

He was born August 24, 1844, in Theresa, Jefferson county, New York, and was 
the son of Luther and Tiieda iTamblin) Clark. Tiie early childhood of our sub- 



74 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

ject was spent in his native town, where he was afforded the Hmited educational 
advantages of the public or common schools. The dea^h of his father while Charles 
was yet young, rendered it necessary that the latter should early inaugurate per- 
sonal endeavor in the fields of labor, and, at the age of twelve, he was the chief 
support of his widowed mother, for whom he at all times showed the greatest filial 
respect, tenderness and devotion. 

In 1856 the mother removed to Neenah, Wisconsin, where he immediately 
entered upon a life of usefulness, finding employment in a saw-mill, at a stipend of 
fifty cents a day. Though alwaj's actively at work he found time and opportunity 
to develop his mind by close observation of men and methods and by the pursuing 
of useful knowledge. He remained in his dependent position until the opening of 
the civil war. The first gun of the rebellion awoke in him an irrepressible desire to 
serve his country, and when the great call for troops was made by President Lincoln- 
he enlisted in the Twenty-First Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, though 
he was then but a boy of seventeen years. Being of rugged and muscular physique 
and already well disciplined by years of labor, young though he was, he made a 
favorable impression upon both his associates and his superiors. He took the field 
and served faithfully and valiantly with his regiment in all its engagements, includ- 
ing those of Perryville, Stone River, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Resaca, Atlanta, 
and Bentonville, and was with Sherman on his memorable march to the sea. But 
why recapitulate the story of the Rebellion? — these are all names familiar to the 
people of these United States and will live in memory as long as patriotism survives. 

Upon the close of the war Mr. Clark found himself at the age of twenty-one 
with the rank of First Lieutenant. He had bravely distinguished himself and the 
testimony of his colonel was that "his record as a soldier was without blot or blem- 
ish" and that he was found "always at the front, never shrinking from the perform- 
ance of any duty." 

Returning to Neenah in 1865, Mr. Clark at once entered upon active business, 
chiefly that of a hardware dealer. His enterprise was successfully continued until 
1872, when, in association with J. A. Kimberly, F. C. Shattuck and H. A. Babcock, 
he ventured upon the manufacture of paper, an industry until then comparatively 
unknown in the West. Thus the firm of Kimberly, Clark & Company was founded. 
The success of this ultimately gigantic corporation is the history of the Fox river 
valley. Conducting their business in a strictly honorable manner, they have attained 
a success to which that of no similar industry in the Union is tantamount. The enor- 
mous mill structures which line the banks of the Fox river are enduring monuments 
to the wonderful business capacity of their originator. From poverty Mr. Clark 
rapidly arose to a position of great wealth and influence, and all this through sheer 
force of will, consistently applied, and re-enforced with skill and untiring energy. 
Being successful in his enterprises in the city of his adoption, he did not limit his 
operations to that locality, but grew with the country and established even greater 
enterprises at Appleton, Kimberly and DePere, the same being conducted in con- 
nection with the original <mills at Neenah. At Neenah are located the Neenah, the 
Globe and the Badger mills, while at Appleton are the Vulcan, the Tioga, the Atlas 
and the Tululah. 



RErRESENTATIVK MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 75 

In addition to his paper mill interests, Mr. Clark was also largely interested in 
banking institutions throughout the country, particularly in the First National Bank 
of Appleton, of which he was vice president at the time of his death. He had rep- 
resentative financial interest in leading banks at Chicago. 

In politics Mr. Clark was a staunch Republican, but he was in no wise a politician 
in the common interpretation of the term. He always commanded the respect and 
votes of the entire community and could, had he desired, have received any honors 
within the gift of the people. Being, however, strictly a man of business, he did not 
allow himself to become so entangled in official nets that withdrawal was impossible- 
In municipal affairs Mr. Clark was an independent, always desiring the greatest 
good for the greatest number. He served as a member of the city council and for 
three years faithfully and to the manifest satisfaction of his townsmen, filled the 
Mayor's chair. In 1S85 he was elected a member of the State assembly and in 1886 
was nominated and elected to the lower house of congress, to which he was re- 
elected in 1888, serving his district with honor, integrity and fidelity, casting his influ- 
ence in the cause of justice and right. He was a warm friend of the old soldiers, in 
whose behalf he was always ready to be heard. He caused to be erected, at his 
own e.xpense, a comfortable and commodious building at the soldier's home, at 
Waupaca, Wisconsin, and the same is devoted principally to the members of his 
own regiment, who all hold him in loving remembrance. 

The business career of Mr. Clark is one most worthy of record and is a marvel 
in its way. Greater fortunes have been accumulated, but few lives furnish so strik- 
ing an example of the wise application of sound principles and safe conservatism as 
does that of Charles B. Clark. The story of his success is short and simple. It 
contains no exciting chapters, but In it lies one of the most valuable secrets of the 
great prosperity which it records. Beginning with no capital save brains and 
energy, and building up the great business which bears his name, his business life is 
pregnant with interest to the world, no matter how lacking it may be in dramatic 
action. It was his well-founded pride that in no part of the business world was his 
word ever called in question. He dealt fairly with all, whether stranger or friend, 
and secured the good will of everyone with whom he came in contact. His great 
knowledge of the world, backed by a natural refinement and an almost marvelous 
intuition, gave him a polish, difficult of comprehension to those unacquainted with 
his noble manhood and consistent life. He was a warm personal friend and great 
admirer of Hon. James (j. Blaine and of Governor William McKinley, of Ohio, 
both of whom appreciated his sterling worth. It is but simple justice to record that 
no man was ever more alive to the duties which wealth imposes. Many are the 
deeds of charity set opposite his name, but his actions were always unostentatious 
and he ever shrunk from personal notoriety. 1 lis sympathies were always with the 
poor and unfortunate, and the recipients of his tangible kindness might be counted 
by the score. He was truly a self-made man in the broadest sense of that often 
misapplied term. 

On December 27, 1867. Mr. Clark was married to Miss Carrie I*". Hubbard, 
daughter of William S. Hubbard, of Wisconsin. Mrs. Clark and her three children, 
Misses Theda and Carrie and Charles B. Clark. Ir., survive him. The immediate 



76 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

cause of the death of Mr. Chirk was iliabctes, which was comphcatecl with Briifht's dis- 
ease of the kidneys. The remains were brought to Neenah, where they were buried 
amid the deepest mourning of the community. Factories were closed, Hags were 
everywhere displayed at half-mast and special trains brought multitudes to his 
funeral from other cities. 

Often a community is called upon to lament the death of an esteemed citizen, 
yet we question very much whether the demise of any one citizen in this section 
was ever more sincerely regretted than was that of Charles B. Clark. His death 
was a calamity, and in the hearts of the multitude which congregated to pay the 
last tribute to his memory sorrow was deeply manifest. Press and pulpit, in addi- 
tion to numerous civic, social and business organizations, united in their testimony 
to his worth, and to-day his name is recorded high upon the roll of the honored of 
the .State of Wisconsin 



SHERBURN S. MERRILL, 

MILWAUKEE. 

RISING above the head of the mass there have always been a series of indi- 
viduals, distinguished beyond others, who, by reason of their great ability 
and powerful individuality, have always commanded the homage of their fellow-men, 
and who have revealed to the world those two bright virtues of a lordly race — per- 
severance in purpose and a spirit of conduct which never fails. 

Throughout the great Northwest may be found many men who have marked 
with deeds the vanishing traces of swift-rolling time, and whose names are kept 
green in the memory of those who in life were their associates. 

There is, however, but one name which will go down to posterity as being that 
of the greatest railroad manager of the age in which he lived, and whose life-work 
and its results will stand long after the names of those who projected this great 
railroad enterprise have passed into oblivion. That name is that of Sherburn S. 
Merrill, for many years the general manager and leading spirit of the great Chica- 
go, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad system. 

He was born in Alexandria, Grafton county. New Hampshire, July 28, 1818. 
His father, Moses Merrill, was a farmer, and Sherburn was bred to that vocation 
and educated in the common schools. After leaving school he first found employ- 
ment about a hotel in Concord, New Hampshire, where he remained for a year; 
for six years immediately following this experience he worked in the furnishing 
house of Moses Kimball, in Boston. He next served as a clerk in a hotel at Troy, 
New York, and later set up a little hotel of his own at Bristol, in his native State. 
He had an interest in a small woolen factory at the same place. He remained 
there till 1850, and in November of that year he went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 
and entered upon what was destined to become a great career as a railway man, 
his tirst experience in that capacity being gained as foreman of a gang of men em- 



KEI'RESKNTAllVE MEN OE THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 7Q 

ployed in i^rading a section of what is now the Prairie du Chien division of the 
Chicau^o, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. The enerjjy and efficiency with which 
he deported himself in this humble capacity attracted the attention of his superiors 
and led to his rapid promotion. Prom foreman in the construction department he be- 
came successively conductor, paymaster and assistant superintendent. PI is next 
appointment was to the superintendency of the Milwaukee & VVatertown Railway, 
now a part of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul system. He next became super- 
intendent of the La Crosse & Milwaukee Railroad, now known as the northern 
division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul. This position he resigned at the 
close of 1864, his health having become impaired by overwork; and, with the view 
of recuperating, away from the trying winds of Lake Michigan, he accepted the 
superintendency of the Winona & St. Peter Railroad, in Minnesota. It was at the 
close of the latter engagement, in July, 1865, that Mr. Merrill was called to the 
commanding position in connection with which his memory will ever be associated 
— the general management of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. The 
corporation was at that time known as the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, the 
name of Chicago being added to its title at a later date. 

This immense system, which has since expanded until it included more miles 
of railroad than are owned by any other corporation in the world, remained nomi- 
nally under his charge from that day till his death, which occurred at his home in 
Milwaukee, Lel:)ruary 8, 1885. His practical direction and superintendency of its 
affairs never for an instant relaxed, from the day of his appointment as general 
manager until he received the paralytic stroke that a year later terminated his 
life. Until the sudden breaking down of his constitution, Mr. Merrill's whole ex- 
istence was merged in his business so completely that the great railroad seemed in 
a very real sense little more than a manifestation of his tremendous individuality. 
His personal supervision was directed to every portion of the system, and his tire- 
less energy dominated everywhere. His figure was known to every one that 
worked for the company in any capacity, and all felt bound to him by strong and 
enthusiastic personal regard. 

A strict disciplinarian, he was recognized as being always just, and the prompt 
and unflinching obedience to orders which he always exacted was known to be 
nothing more than he himself would have cheerfully accorded had his place been 
to obey rather than to command. He was never satisfied except when hard at 
work, and his example was an inspiration to hard work on the part of those around 
him. His practical clear-sightedness, his comprehensive grasp of details combined 
with wonderful power of organization, his tireless energy and his perfect knowl- 
edge of men, marked him as a man of great executive ability. In person Mr. Mer- 
rill was of commanding height, spare and erect in figure, and in every movement 
nervous and quick. His eye was as bright as an eagle's, his complexion was florid, 
and his hair and beard, in later years, of a silvery gray. 

Mr. Merrill was tw^ice married: in 1849, to Miss Sarah D. Kidder, who died in 
1855, leaving two daughters, — Sarah W., now Mrs. Washington Becker, and Susie 
K.; and in 1858 to Miss Mary E. Freeman, who survives him. Of this union have 
been born one daughter, Marian, the wife of Rev. William Chester, pastor of Im- 



8o BIOGRAI'lIICAf, DICTIONARY AND POUrRAIl- GALLERY OF IIIE 

manuel Church of Milwaukee, and two sons, Fred F. and Richard. It is a privi- 
lege accorded to but few men to be as widely known as was S. S. Merrill; the num- 
ber is yet smaller who have been able to win such a measure of sincere respect as 
he aroused in all with whom he came in contact. His strongest hold upon men 
was his hold upon their hearts. In almost a literal sense the Chicago, Milwaukee 
& St. Paul Railroad is what he made it. F"rom the weakling condition of a mere 
experimental enterprise the road has become one of the giant organizations of the 
world, and every step of its upward progress was most aided by Mr. Merrill's 
ability. The system he built up received the impress of his strong personality, and 
for many coming years will his methods and characteristics be features in the policy 
of the road, even though the actual labor of managing it is confided to other hands. 
Love of toil, a brave self-confidence, and the natural gift of leadership, — these were 
the foundation traits of his character, and enabled him to attain the position and 
reputation of being the greatest railroad man of his time. 

The great transportation enterprises, to the success of which his talent and 
energy contributed to so large an extent, have been important factors in the de- 
velopment of the West and the enrichment of its people, and in their hearts will 
his memory ever be enshrined. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad will 
long stand as a monument to the keen foresight, vigorous will and splendid ability 
of Sherburn S. Merrill. 



ORRIN H. INGRAM, 

EAU CLAIRE. 

ORRIN HENRY INGRAM, son of David A. and Fanny (Granger) Ingram, 
was born in Westfield, Massachusetts, May 12, 1830. His father moved to old 
Saratoga, New York, when our subject was still a child, and died there in 1841, 
leaving his family ill fortified for the future. Thus, at the age of eleven years, was 
our subject forced to enter alone upon the highway of life to seek his livelihood 
among strangers. He left home to work for a farmer who resided south of Glens 
Falls, New York. There he obtained his board and clothing as remuneration for 
his labor, and from the time he was thirteen he performed a man's work. When 
he was about seventeen or eighteen years old, he went to Lake George, New York, 
where his mother, who had married, had previously located. There he also worked 
on a farm, and during the winter months was enabled to glean a little knowledge 
by attending the district school. At the age of twenty he went to Springfield, 
Massachusetts, and later to Westfield and then to Southwick, where he resided for 
a short time with an uncle. Being attracted toward a mechanical life he decided 
to make an effort to enter the United States armory at Springfield, Massachusetts, 
and filed application for the position. Three years later, after the matter had 
ceased to occupy his thoughts, he received a notice that the position was open to 




;# 



Rlil'KKSENIATIVK .MEN OK lllE UNITED .SIATKS; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 83 

him, but lie then dcrlincd. Having returned to New York in 1S47, he became an 
<7;//>/rM'(- of tlie firm of Harris & Bronson, and in the winter superintended cutting 
logs in the timber huui al)out lake Pharaoh, Warren county, New York, while in 
the summer he worked in a sawmill for the same firm. His remuneration there 
was the princely sum of twelve dollars monthly in the winters and in the summers 
he was entitled to an additional dollar per month. Later he took entire charge of 
the mill and obtained a salary of a dollar and fifty cents a clay. Under his manage- 
ment the mill did good work. During the third winter he was prostrated with 
bilious fever. This attack of illness nearly ended his career, and he was carried 
out of the woods, to Lake George, nearly dead. After recovery he decided to 
seek another location for his future operations, and accepted a position with 
Messrs. Fox & Anglin, the former a retired Presbyterian minister, living at that 
time at Schenectady, New York, and the latter city treasurer of Kingston, Canada, 
and finished building their mill, which was being erected on the Rideau canal, 
about eighteen miles from Kingston, Canada. About this time he also built and 
operated several mills on the Moira river, near Belleville, Canada. 

He had learned his business from the foundation upward; he started at the 
lowest round of the ladder and as he progressed upward, being of an observing 
mind and naturally practical, he not only learned all that was then known about 
the construction and oi)eration of sawmills, but his inventive genius conceived 
various methods for improvement. As an cii/f^loyc of the firm of I""ox & Anglin 
he obtained a salary of a thousand dollars a year. 

Having promised his former employers, Messrs. Harris & Bronson, 'that, in 
case they commenced operations in a different location, he would return to them, 
he resigned his position with F"ox & Anglin and superintended the erection of a 
large mill for Harris & Bronson, at Ottawa, Canada. He operated this mill for 
them one season, and by putting on a shave tooth was enabled to turn out some 
extraordinarily smooth lumber. 

By this time his reputation as a practical and successful lumberman had be- 
come established, and he was offered by Gilmour & Company, of Ottawa, Canada, 
the largest lumber concern in the world, a responsible position at a yearly salary of 
four thousand dollars and house rent, horses, etc., furnished. He remodeled and 
improved the following of their mills: two at Gatneau, one each on the river 
Trent and the river Blaunch, one on North Nation river, and their shipyard mill at 
\\ olf Cove, Quebec. He had entire charge of the* manufacturing part of their 
business and superintended every branch from the rough logs to the fmished 
lumber. 

While associated with Gilmour & Company, Mr Ingram invented the gang 
edger, a device that has been of greater advantage to the lumber interests than any 
contrivance ever introduced. He did not patent his invention, but put it to prac- 
tical use in the mills which he superintended, and also in other mills in Wisconsin 



84 lilOGRAPIlKAI. I)U riONARV AND I'ORI RAII' (iAI.l.KRY OK IIIK 

aiul elsewhere. Some time later a i)arty named Paul aj^plied for a patent upon the 
gang edger, which was granted to his heirs shortly thereafter, but, as it was proved 
that the device was invented by Mr. Ingram and had been originally designed and 
introduced into several mills by him, Paul or his assigns failed to collect royalty. 

Having taken care of the greater part of his earnings, Mr. Ingram was able to 
enter business on his own account, and in the winter of 1856-57 he obtained a leave 
of absence, which he occupied in seeking for a location. His employers exacted 
a promise from him requiring three months' notice in case he desired to leave, but 
upon learning of his decision they used all honorable means to retain his services, 
offering him a salary of six thousand dollars, but without avail. He obtained a 
man whom he could recommend to fill his place, and associating himself with A. M. 
Dole, of Ottawa, and Donald Kennedy, who was formerly working for Gilmour & 
Company, he formed the firm of Dole, Ingram & Kennedy, and in the spring of 
1857 they began lumbering in the Chippewa valley, in Wisconsin. They commenced 
operations with a small portable mill, with which they sawed timber for a sawmill. 
They built a gang mill and brought the first iron planer and the first iron lathe into 
the Chippewa valley. Beside sawing timl:)er for their own use, they also partially 
supplied Daniel Shaw & Company. They began rafting soon after they started in 
Eau Claire, and after a few years opened up a lumber yard at Wabasha, Minnesota. 
Later they started a lumber yard at Dubuque, Iowa, which was placed under the 
charge of W. H. Day, and they afterward erected a mill and sawed lumber there. 
In 1861 a severe loss was encountered. The mill in Eau Claire was destroyed by 
fire, and having no insurance upon the plant, fifty thousand dollars of their earnings 
was devoured by the element. 

The following year Messrs. Ingram & Kennedy purchasetl Mr. Dole's inter- 
est in the business. Some two years later two young men, who were faithful c))i- 
ploycs, were each given an eighth interest, to be payed out of their share of the 
profits. Thus the style of the firm became Ingram, Kennedy & Company, and they 
continued to purchase and cut timber, to buy logs and manufacture and sell lumber. 
In 1865 the firm built the steamer Silas Wright, and conducted the largest part 
of the freighting from Reed's Landing to Eau Claire. In connection with this 
branch of the business, Mr. Ingram also displayed his genius for invention. He 
devised a system of lighters which enabled the Silas Wright to ascend the river, 
while other boats of less draught were forced to remain down stream. He obtained 
a patent on this invention. In 1867-68 the boat was taken South and operated on 
the Arkansas ri\er, between Little Rock and Fort Smith. The Silas Wright was 
purchased later by H. T. Rumsey, of La Crosse, who then put on a line of boats. 

In 1S80 Mr. Ingram organized the Charles Horton Lumber Company, of Win- 
ona, and the following year Mr. Kennedy sold out his interests in the various estab- 
lishments in which he was associated with Mr. Ingram, to Messrs. Dulaney and 
McVeigh, and then Mr. Ingram, in connection with his new associates and the 
remaining partners, organized the Empire Lumber Company, with capital stock of 
$800,000. The Empir^ Lumber Company absorbed all the interests of the firm 
of Ingram, Kennedy & Company, including their interests in the firm of Ingram, 
Kennedy & Day, of Dubuque, Iowa. The Dulnujue business was then incorporated 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 85 

as the Staiulartl Lumber Company, willi capital stock of $500,000. Mr. Iiiu;ram is 
president of the limpire Lumber Company, vice-president of the .Standard Lumber 
Company, and president of the Wabasha Lumber Company. 

In 1883 Mr. Inirrani or<ranized the Rice Lake Lumber Company, of Rice Lake. 
Wisconsin, with capitalization of $600,000, and has been its president since its orga- 
nization. He is vice-president of the Chippewa Lumber & Boom Company, a large 
lumbering corporation, capitalized for $1,200,000. The Eau Claire National Bank 
one of the most reliable institutions of its kind in the State, claims Mr. Ingram as 
its president. He is also a director of the Hudson Saw Mill Company. He assisted 
in the organization of the Eau Claire Water Works Company, which furnishes water 
to the citizens of Eau Claire, and is president of that company, which is capitalized 
for $200,000. He is always public spirited, and is foremost in any feasible plan to 
benefit the city which is his home. He has recently erected one of the finest office 
buildings of the State, the same being an artistic building, constructed with a regard 
for beauty seldom seen in any structure of this kind. A portion of this edifice is 
used by the public library and through the generosity of Mr. Ingram this worthy 
institution has been given a magnificent home. He has not entirely forgotten his 
early training on the farm and still delights in pastoral pursuits. He has, near the 
cit}', a farm, which he devotes principally to the breeding of live stock and there he 
passes a portion of his time, finding recreation and recuperation through his visits. 

In addition to the number of business interests named above, he has the follow- 
ing connections: he is president of the Fort Scott Lumber Company, of Fort Scott, 
Kansas; is treasurer of the Anthracite Coal Company, of the anthracite district of 
.Alberta, Canada, (a company capitalized for $i,030,ODo); and was during its con- 
struction, president of the Dells Improvement Company, of Eau Claire. It would 
appear that a man having the manifold business cares of Mr. Ingram, would have 
but little time to devote to affairs outside of the business world, but he has not neg- 
lected his duties as a man and has endeavored to lead a consistent Christian life. 
He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Congregational Church, 
and has bestowed liberally of his time and means to aid religious progress. He is 
a member of the Young Men's Christian Association State Committee, and against 
his will, he was chosen a Director of Ripon College. 

He was married, in 1851, to Cornelia E. Pierce, of Lake George, New York. 
They have four children, two sons and two daughters, living; and two dead. Mr. 
Ingram is domestic in his tastes and habits; he spends all of his spare time at home, 
surrounded by his family, and blessed with the company of his five grand-children. 
He has a cottage on Long Lake, VVisconsin, where he passes much of his time in 
the summer, and on his steam yacht he delights to skim over the waters of the lake 
forgetful of the trials and vexations of business affairs. 

Such is a brief outline of an eventful, active life. Born amidst the most 
adverse surroundings, possessing no early advantages, the subject of this sketch 
has made a success of his life and earned for himself a high position amongst the 
leading men of the Northwest. An analysis of his career illustrates, most forcibly, 
that if a young man is the possessor of business ability combined with ambition and 
integrity, he can overcome all obstacles and reach the coveted goal. Mr. Ingram's 



86 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND I'ORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



career is worthy of emulation. His life has been a success, but all his achievements 
are the result of patient effort, unflagging industry and self-confidence. He has 
resided in Eau Claire for over a third of a century, and during that time he has so 
deported himself that, as a citizen, as a man of business, as an honorable Christian 
gentleman, no man has a cleaner record or is more highly respected than he. 



HON. PERRY GRACE, 

WAUKESHA. 

HON. PERRY GRACE is a native of Ireland, having been born in Nenagh, 
county Tipperary, August 3, 1836, and is the youngest of the children of Ger- 
ald and Mary (Sarsfield) Grace. His father was by occupation a farmer, who with 
his family, when our subject was but six years of age, emigrated to America and 
located near the city of Cleveland, Ohio, where he engaged in railroading. It was 
here that Perry obtained the rudiments of his education, attending school eight 
miles distant from his home, when inclement weather did not prevent. William 
Grace, his oldest brother, was a railroad contractor, and under him he began what 
proved a most successful railroad career. 

The first work he ever did was in building the road between Cleveland and 
Columbus, the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati. Shortly afterward, the great 
Erie railroad war, lasting one year, was inaugurated. The excitement was so in- 
tense that military organizations were called out. Mr. Grace then came to Chi- 
cago, where he entered the employ of Harbach, Stone & Witt, railroad contract- 
ors, who were laying track on the road known as the Chicago & Milwaukee. He 
remained at this work until the State line of Wisconsin was reached, to which point 
the track from Milwaukee had been laid by a Wisconsin company. The two com- 
panies were afterward consolidated. He next removed to Milwaukee and engaged 
as contractor to build the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad from Madison to Prairie 
du Chien, and in 1854 he moved the first gang of graders ever moved west of Mad- 
ison. This road is now the Prairie du Chien division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & 
St. Paul system. Upon the completion of his contract, Mr. Grace accepted the po- 
sition of superintendent of construction, under Mr. E. H. Brodhead, at 
that time the president, manager and chief engineer, and from 1857 
to 1885, held the same position under General Manager S. S. Merrill. 
He continued with the company after Mr. Merrill's death, until i8qi, 
when he retired from active business to his beautiful home in Waukesha, 
in which city he has lived since 1872. During his service as superintendent he lived 
at different times at Madison, Monroe, Prairie du Chien and Stoughton. Mr. Grace 
now occupies his time in. looking after his various interests, he being quite a real- 
estate holder, and owner of several fine dwelling houses which he rents, in Wauke- 
sha. He is also a stockholder in the National Exchange Bank, of that citw He is 



RKI'RKSKMATIVK MKN OK TllK UNITED STATKS; WISCONSIN VOLUMK. 87 

a great lover of camping and fishing, and is never happier than when temporarily' 
located on the shores of one of Wisconsin's beautiful lakes, where he can indulge 
in his favorite sport. 

In his religious faith Mr. Grace is a devout member of the Catholic Churcii.and 
is a member of the Knights of Wisconsin. Politically, he is a Republican, and has 
been elected by his party as Trustee of the village of Waukesha, and in i88q and 
1890 was its President. 

Mr. Grace was married June 8, 1864, to Miss Ellen Norton, of Spring Cireen, 
Wisconsin. They have five children: Minnie, Nellie, William, Perry, Jr., and Albert, 
and their home is one of the handsomest and happiest in Waukesha. 

Mr. (irace's success may be attributed to practical economy and judicious and 
far-sighted investments in Waukesha real estate. 



EUGENE SHAW, 

KAU CLAIRE. 

EUGENE SHAW, son of Daniel and Ann E. lllutchins) Shaw, was born in 
Industry, Maine, December 7, 1S50. His ancestors, both paternal and mater- 
nal, were early settlers of New England. The Shaws were originally from Scotland, 
— the Hutchins of English ancestry. The paternal grandparents of our subject 
were born in Tamworth, New Hampshire, and a biographer in the United States 
Biographical Dictionary says of them: "They were as firm in character as the 
granite of their native State." The same writer in commenting upon the family 
also states that " the .Shaw family were and are an industrious, jjlucky race, with no 
word like failure in their vocabulary. " 

The father of our subject was for nearly fifty years engaged in the lumbering 
business, at first in Maine, and from 1851 to 1855 in Allegany county. New York; 
after that to the time of his death he followed that vocation in Eau Claire. 

The early childhood days of Eugene were passed in the bracing air of the 
Alleghany mountains. In 1856 his father, after having thoroughly explored the 
Chippewa valley in Wisconsin, settled at Eau Claire. In this frontier village the 
boy grew to manhood, obtaining his school education in the common schools and 
in the local seminary. He devoted much of his spare time to the mercantile branch 
of the business of Daniel Shaw & Co., and after spending one year in Chicago, at- 
tendiujr the Bryant & Stratton Business College, he returned to Eau Claire, and 
although but twenty years of age at the time became manager of that branch of 
the business which aggregated sales of over $125,000 per annum. Being young, 
active and energetic, the every-day transactions of a retail business were not entirely 
to his taste, and from 1871 to 1878, during the summers, he became actively engaged 
in steamboating and selling lumber on the Mississippi. In this branch of the busi- 
ness as in all others which he conducted he displayed a high order of business 
ability. 



88 BIOGRAI'HICAL DICTIONARY AND I'ORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 



In 1874 the tirni of Daniel Shaw & Co. was incorporated as the Daniel Shaw 
Lumber Company with capital of $500,000. For the past fifteen years our subject 
has been general manager of the entire business of the company and as its head he 
has earned for himself a prominent position among the leading men of the West. 
The Daniel Shaw Lumber Company is one of the largest and most enterprising 
firms of its kind in the Northwest. Its annual output is from 25,000,000 to 30,000,000 
of feet of finished luml)er. 

In 1882 Mr. Shaw married Miss Lottie Kennedy, daughter of Donald Kennedy, 
one of the pioneers of Eau Claire, but at that time and now a resident of Minnea- 
polis. Three children, Margaret, Geraldine and Eugenia, have blessed this 
marriage. 

Mr. Shaw is domestic in his tastes and habits; he is sociable and companionable 
to all; but with the exception of his connection with the Knights of Pythias, he has 
no interest in social clubs or fraternal societies. He is well versed in affairs of the 
day and keeps thoroughly informed upon all important events. His judgment in 
all matters of business is sound and displays a fine quality of reasoning power and 
a strong sense of justice. He entirely eschews politics, and is not strongly partisan, 
casting his ballot for what he deems the best interests of the people. He is inde- 
fatigable in business, and conducts his affairs systematically and thoroughly. His 
business has caused him to travel quite extensively, but he has found little time, 
and has less inclination than time, to travel for pleasure, finding the truest happi- 
ness and utmost content by the fireside surrounded by the family circle in the beau- 
ful structure he calls " home." 



ANDREW C MERRYMAN, 

MARINETTE. 

PRACTICAL industry wisely and vigorously applied never fails of success. It 
carries man onward and upward, brings out his individual character and 
powerfully stimulates the action of others. It is this unflagging spirit of industry 
that has laid the foundations and built the commercial greatness of the Northwest. 
The career of the subject of this sketch happily illustrates the foregoing observa- 
tions. Born and reared amid adverse surroundings, his indomitable will and 
energy combined with sterling integrity have placed him in the front rank of the 
business men of the Northwest. Andrew Curtis Merrryman was born in Bowdoin, 
Maine, December 22, 1831, the second of a family of seven children born to Bailey 
Merryman and his wife Mary, twc Wilson. His parents were both natives of the 
State of Maine and were descendents of early New England settlers. His father 
was a farmer and from the rocky soil of Maine he obtained a living for himself and 
family. The sons of men in his station, in that day, were not a burthen to be 
borne and toiled for until they should go out into the world for themselves. A 
family of boys on the farm was to the father a source of prosperity, which gave him 
great advantages over his poor neighbor whose operations were limited to the 



V 



'll9t» Wft^l^ 




^M^'fU 




RErKESENTATlVE MEN Ol' THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. Ql 

capacity of his own lalior or carried on with hired hclj). So the l)()y at an early 
age began to take his share in the "chores" around the farm. Upon the soil of 
Maine, where hard and continuous toil was a condition precedent to a supply of 
the necessaries and most common comforts of existence, the wants of the body 
necessarily took precedence over those of the intellect. The educational advan- 
tages of the boys were therefore limited to the annual three months' winter term of 
the common schools during the period between early childhood and stalwart youth. 
.A.t that time the coast of Maine was dotted with shipyards, where the timber from 
its forests was turned by the shipwright into vessels, which, from their tall masts 
carried the flag of our country to all quarters of the globe. 

The ambition of 3'oung Merryman was of the most iiraclical kind, which an 
intelligent, energetic youth would be almost certain to have, lie did not believe 
the road to wealth and position could be traveled rapidly, but he determined to 
labor faithfulK' and diligently to rise above the conditions which surrounded his 
boyhood. At seventeen he began to work at shipbuilding at Middle Bay, near 
Portland, and soon became a competent shipwright. In 1855 he built the brig, 
A. C. Merryman, at Pittston, Maine, and had launched upon the business on his 
own account, when business depression ruined the industry in which he was engaged 
and he determined to seek a new field in which to labor. In 1855 he visited Wis- 
consin on a tour of inspection and perceiving the future value of the great tracts of 
timber lands and the consequent prosperity of the lumber business in that State, 
he determined to enter business there. In association with I laynes 1 lunter and 
his brother, R. W. Merryman. he organized the firm of Merryman & Co., and 
started a sawmill in Fond du Lac. He returned to Maine in the winter of 
1855 56 and disposed of his interests in that .State. He returned to Wisconsin and 
with all the money he and his partners could raise, purchased pine lands. Shortly 
thereafter Mr. Merryman and his brother became associated in business with John 
S. and Ale.xander McDonald, and under the firm name of McDonald, Merryman & 
Co., conducted a prosperous lumber manufacturing business. In 1866 Mr. Merry- 
man sold his interests in Fond du Lac to his brother and moved to Marinette. 
Having formed a partnership with 1. K. & W. C. Hamilton, under the style of 
Hamilton, Merryman & Co., they purchased sixty-two thousand acres of Govern- 
ment land and began operating a mill at Marinette. They have, from time to 
time, added to their original purchase of land, and have been constantly manufac- 
turing lumber since. It was deemed advisable to change the partnership into a 
corporation and the business is now conducted by the Hamilton & Merryman Co., a 
stock company, capitalized for three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The 
HamiUon & Merryman Company is one of the largest and most successful of the 
immense lumber manufacturing establishments along the Menominee river. From 
thirt\ millions to forty millions of feet of finished lumber is annually turned from 
limber on the stump to finished lumber at its mill. The lumber is carried by the 
the company's line of boats to Chicago, where its larger distributing yard is located, 
ihe management of the manufacturing part of the business is directly under Mr. 
Merryman's supervision, and its success is a worthy testimonial to his business 
talent and managerial ability- In addition to his connection with the Hamilton, 



Q2 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Merryman Company, Mr. Merryman has interests in the following corporations : 
The Marinette & Menominee Paper Company; The Menominee River Boom Co., 
of which he is the treasurer; The Kaukauna Fibre Company; The Falls Manufac- 
turing Company, of Oconto Falls; and The Hamilton Iron Company, of Iron 
Mountain. Politically, Mr. Merryman affiliates with the Prohibition party and has 
been nominated by that party for high positions of honor and trust. In 1892 he 
acted as the candidate of that party for the State Treasurership and had pre- 
viously been the candidate for Congressman for this district. He believes that 
intemperance is the curse of our country and that all true American citizens should 
use their powers to the utmost to exterminate the evil. For that reason he is a 
Prohibitionist In politics and conscientiously strives to benefit the masses by raising 
his voice and using his ballot to try to exterminate the evil. He has never in- 
dulged in the use of liquors or tobacco and his strong and rugged frame and 
healthy complexion are doubtless due to his temperate manner of living. He is a 
member of the Good Templars and the Temple of Honor, and in all ways trys to 
impress the young with repugnance to intemperance. 

Mr. Merryman has been married twice. His first wife was F" ranees Colburn. 
One son, R. C. Merryman, is the surviving issue of this marriage. In 1870 he was 
married to Louise Brown, a native of P^ort Ann, New York ; four children, Bertha, 
Amy, A. C. and Louise, form his family circle. 

Mr. Merryman's career Illustrates most forcibly what can be accomplished by 
steady application, industry, integrity and sobriety. He has carved his own way 
unaided and alone to the high position he now occupies. He started in life as poor 
as the poorest of boys and he has succeeded, while thousands who were better 
equipped at the outset have dropped by the wayside. He is a self-made man in the 
fullest sense of that often misused term, and the biographies of such men as he 
sht)uld serve as an inspiration to the young, as they show what hard work, intelli- 
gence and temperance can accomplish in this grand country of ours. 



COLONEL JOHN H. KNIGHT, 



ONE of the best known citizens of Wisconsin, as well as one of the most promi- 
nent, is Colonel John H. Knight, of Ashland, who was born on a farm In Kent 
county, Delaware, P'ebruary 3, 1836, his parents being James and Rebecca (Scotten) 
Knight, both members of old pioneer families of that section. 

Our subject's boyhood was passed In attending school and working on his 
father's farm. At the age of sixteen he entered the school at Charlotteville, Scho- 
harie county. New York, where he remained one year, going thence to Fair- 
field, Herkimer county, where he pursued his studies for three years longer. 
During this time his vacations were occupied In assisting his father on the farm. 

The education thus received was afterward supplemented by a course at the 
Albany Law School, at which institution he graduated in 1859. Amongst his 



RP".1'R?:SE\TATI\E MKN OK TIIK UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. q^ 

classmates at this institution were Rufus W. Peckham, now one of the Judges of 
the Court of Appeals of New York; General W. G. V'eazey, of the Interstate Com- 
merce Commission, and Senators Proctor, of Vermont, and Vilas, of Wisconsin. 

Upon graduating at the law school at Albany, he was examined for admission 
to the bar, by a committee of lawyers, one of whom was Hon. William M. Evarts, 
and was admitted to practice in the courts of New York. He also studied law 
three years in the office of Hon. N. B. Smithers, at Dover, Delaware, during which 
time he earned his living and paid his expenses. In i860 he was admitted to the 
bar of his native State, and at once entered upon the practice of his profession 
with Hon. George I*. !■ isluT, witli whom he continued at Dover until I'rt'sident 
Lincoln's call for seventy-five thousand three-months men. The next day he laid 
aside his books and determined to respond to the call. .Such a resolution on his 
part raised a very intense feeling against him among his neighliors, and many of 
his old friends became his bitter enemies. 

But this did not deter him. He at once set about organizing a companj' for 
the service, and getting a few from his own locality to join, he filled it to the re- 
quired number from Philadelphia and Newcastle county, and was soon in the field. 
Having had no experience in military affairs, he persuaded a gentleman of his 
acquaintance, and a member of the National Guard at Philadelphia, to take the 
Captaincy of the company, while he himself took that of Pirst Lieutenant. This 
company was afterward Company H, of the Pirst Delaware, three-months infantry 
regiment. The company served on the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore 
Railroad, near the city of Baltimore, during its entire term of service, but Lieuten- 
ant Knight went during that time to join a party going to the first battle of Bull 
Run, and was present at that conflict of arms. At the close of the service of his 
three-months regiment, he was commissioned Captain and Assistant Adjutant Gen- 
eral of volunteers by President Lincoln, and assigned to duty with General H. H. 
Lockwood. About the same time he was offered a Captaincy in the regular army, 
which he declined. General Lockwood was assigned to duty, whilst he remained 
with him, on the eastern shore of Maryland and Virginia, and during this time the 
expedition was made into Accomack and Northampton counties, Virginia, to break 
up the rebel garrison there. The Confederates were driven out and crossed over 
to the other side of the bay. During the time that Captain Knight served on Gen- 
eral Lockwood's staff, he was again offered, and again declined, a Captaincy in the 
regular army. In February, 1862, however, the outlook was so bad for a settlement 
of the difficulties, that he concluded to accept the Captaincy tendered, and did so. 

In the spring of 1862 the Captain applied to be sent to his regiment, the 
Eighteenth United .States Infantry, which was then serving at the siege of Corinth. 
He joined the regiment at luka, Mississippi, :i few days after the siege was raised. 
His regiment was on duty with the Army of the Cumberland, which was at that 
time commanded by George H. Thomas, and was with that army in all its skir- 
mishes. Captain Knight remained with it on its retreat from Mississippi and Ala- 
bama, through Tennessee and Kentucky, to Louisville, Kentucky. After the army 
was reinforced at Louisville and fully equipped, they started to give battle to (len- 



94 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

eral Hra^^>;-. TIk'n- overtook him at SpriiiLiiicUl .uul had a httlr lii^ht with him there. 
A day or two after that they fouoht the battle of l'err\\ilh\ Kentueky, in whicli 
the Captain participated in command of his company. 

For two or three days prior to this battle Captain Knight had typhoid symp- 
toms cominij on, and had been sent in the mornin<>: to the ambulance with a very 
high fever. When tlie\' were approaching the line of batth' he ,i;ot out and joined 
his compan\ , and went into the fight with them. He was injured by the explosion 
of a shell, but did not think much of it at that time; however, the next day he was 
unable to mo\e, and did not walk again for about three months The doctor stated 
that his spinal nt-rvt's had l)een injured by the concussion from the explosion so 
near him, which rendered him helpless and unable to even feed himself, and he has 
never fully recovered from this injury. That was in October, 1862, and he was not 
well enough to do any duty until March, 1863, when he went on duty as chief mus- 
tering officer at Louisville, Kentucky. Whilst he was laid up in this way he was 
married, on the 19th of January, 1863, at Witminoton, Helaware, to Susan James 
Clark, daughter of Levi G. Clark. 

Captain Knight remained on duty at Louisville until shortly after the battle of 
Chickamauga. Whilst he was on duty in Kentucky he mustered into service the 
ten regiments of Kentuckians who were raised under a special act of Congress. 
Amongst them was Colonel B. H. Bristow's regiment. He had many i)erilous ex- 
periences during all the time he was performing this duty, on account of going to 
different parts of the State to muster. Having finished his labor, he joined his 
regiment again at Chattanooga, shortly after the battle of Chickamauga. He was 
there on duty with his regiment during all the time they were shut up there by the 
rebels, and until after they had fought the battle of Mission Ridge, in which he 
participated. This was during the time Rosecrans was hemmed in at Chattanooga, 
when there was great suffering from scarcity of footl. He was on picket duty on 
the extreme right of the Ihiion line for three days prior to that battle, and during 
the fight on Lookout Mountain his regiment supported Hooker on the left. The 
position of his brigade in the line of battle at Mission Ridge was in the center, 
facing the ridge from Chattanooga in a direct line to Hragg's headquarters. Sher- 
man's army was on the left. 

There is one circumstance connected with that battle that is little known. After 
his regiment had reached the top of the ridge they discovered a body of Confed- 
erate mounted men down on their right, cut off from their main army. It proved 
to be General John C. Breckinridge and his body guard, who undertook to run by 
them; but they opened firt' on them and unsaddled (luite a number, making the 
General's son prisoner. 

Before this battle it had become apparent that Captain Knight could not march 
with his regiment; that, in fact, he was really unfitted for service. His health was 
very much broken down; and without his knowledge the officers of his regiment 
had reported it to the War Department. The next day after the battle of Mission 
Ridge, while his regiiwent was drawn up at Ringgold, Georgia, where the enemy 
had made a staml, he received orders to proceed to Detroit, Michigan, for duty in 
the office of assistant to the Provost Marshal Cn'iuTal of that State and chiei mus- 



KKI'KI'.SKNrAllVK MEN OK IIIK liNIIKD.Sl AIKS; WISCONSIN VOLUMK. Q5 

tering and disbursing officer. In 1863 the Captain was appointed Colonel of the 
First Delaware Cavalry regiment by the Governor of that State, but he was not 
permitted to join it, because it had become so reduced in numbers that the Secre- 
tary of W ar declined his frequent applications for so doing. He was afterward 
brevetted Major and Lieutenant Colonel of the army, for faithful and meritorious 
.service during the war. 

Colonel Knight arrived at Detroit in January, 1S64, and re])orted to Genc^ral 
Hill, who was the officer in command, and was by him assigned to duty as superin- 
tendent of recruiting service of the Michigan regiments, and had charge of the re- 
organization of all the veteran regiments of Michigan, and final discharge of all of 
them. All matters connected with the refilling of the regiments were under his 
supervision. Shortly after he entered on duty in Detroit he was appointed to suc- 
ceed General Hill in the entire charge of the business of drafting and recruiting, as 
Assistant Provost Marshal General, and remained on duty there until I'ebruary, 
1S67, when he was ordered to report to his regiment in the regular army. 

The new infantry regiments which were added to the regular army during the 
war were regiments of three battalions of eight companies each. The Captain was 
in the second battalion of the Eighteenth Infantry. After the war closed these 
regiments were broken up and each regiment made into three regiments of ten 
companies, and new numbers given to them, so that when he joined his regiment in 
1867 he belonged to the Thirty-sixth United States Infantry. That regiment was 
then doing duty in Wyoming and Utah Territories, guarding the engineering par- 
ties who were locating the line of the Union Pacific Railroad. He had charge of 
about four hundred miles of this line, which lay between a point about two hundred 
miles west of the present town of Laramie City, on the Union Pacific line, and Fort 
Bridger. He made his headquarters in the western mouth of Hridger's pass of the 
Rocky mountains, and had command of that line and the troops which were guard- 
ing these locating ])arties of railroad engineers. 

During the winter of iS6S-(; he was stationed at Camp Douglas, Salt Lake 
City, and was the ne.\t otiicer in rank to the commanding officer of the post. 
There had been a law passed during the session of Congress in 1868 reducing the 
army. This law permitted the Adjutant General to select from the army such offi- 
cers as he thought were the best in the service. The others were either to be re- 
tired or discharged, as was right and fair. Colonel Knight was one of those selected 
by the Adjutant General to remain, and was assigned to the First Infantry. 

Under the provisions of this law an officer could apply to be placed upon the 
supernumerary list, and draw his pay for two years, and at the end of that time be 
discharged from service. Colonel Knight took advantage of this law for the pur- 
pose of getting into business. He went to Washington in the spring of 1869, and 
saw General (irant in respect to some civil appointment, and he persuaded him, on 
account of his health, to take an assignment of duty at the Indian agency of the 
Lake Superior Chippewas, the President having adopted the policy of detailing 
army officers for performing the duties of Indian agencies. As already intimated. 
Colonel Knight had lost his health during the war, and it had not been restored, 
which (leneral Cirant knew \'ery well, and he offered to give iiim some foreign ap- 



q6 biographical dictionary and portrait gallery of the 

pointment, where he thought his health would be benefited by the climate. Whilst 
he was trying to hunt up a place, where his health would recover, as he thought, 
the President suggested to him, through General Dent, to try a northern climate. 

Tbe attractions which had been created by the advertisements of J. Cooke & 
Company, of the country which the Northern Pacific Railroad was going to traverse, 
had somewhat fascinated him, and he finally concluded to go north, and was de- 
tailed to do the duties of an Indian agent to the Chippewas. That was how he 
came up to Bayfield, Wisconsin. He landed there on June 30, 1869, and has been 
in this country ever since. 

There were very few soldiers who were broken down in their health more than 
Colonel Knight was. He came to Bayfield and did the duties of Indian agent for 
nearly a year, and improved so much in health in this climate that he concluded to 
remain, and in 1870 he sent in his resignation as Captain and started out for him- 
self. He then bought some law books and studied law again. He speculated in 
real estate and made some good investments, and concluded that he could make 
money in the rising values of property, and by getting back into his profession he 
could make a living. About the time Jay Cooke failed and the crash came on, he 
accepted the office of Register of the land ofiice at Bayfield, in the latter part of 
1872, at the request of C. C. Washburn, who was then member of Congress from 
Wisconsin. Mr. Washburn had experienced some difficulty in deciding between 
several applicants, and he solicited him to take the office, until about the year 1879, 
but he was nominally Register until some time in 1880. 

Colonel Knight commenced business in Ashland in 1878, but did not move 
there until the year 1880. He organized the Superior Lumber Company in 1880, 
and commenced business in 1881. That was the beginning of the prosperity of 
Ashland, and really the commencement of the start, under which it is now progress- 
ing. It was the beginning of the growth of Ashland from a village of about eight 
hundred inhabitants to a city of fifteen thousand, at the present time. The com- 
pany is one of large wealth. In fact, it has a property valuation of fully three- 
quarters of a million of dollars. The Colonel has been actively interested in almost 
every enterprise that has been since located at Ashland, — the Ashland National 
Bank, of which he is vice-president; First National Bank, Ashland Brown Stone 
Company, director of the Street Railway, and largely contributed to the bonus of 
the blast furnace. He was local attorney for the Wisconsin Central Railroad for a 
number of years. He has been twice elected as Democratic Mayor in a Republi- 
can city. 

Colonel Knight's first wife died on the 29th of June, 1867, at Wilmington, Dela- 
ware. There was one child by that marriage, Eugenia Bradford Knight, who is 
now the wife of Leslie B. Rowley. On June 2, 1873, he was married again, to Ella 
B. Clark, a sister of his first wife. Of this union have been born six children: Susan 
B., whose death occurred October 7, 1890; Clark M., Mary E., Elizabeth C, Re- 
becca S. and Pauline V. 

In 1888 Colonel Knight was a delegate at large to the National Democratic 
Convention at -St. Louis, that renominated Grover Cleveland, and in 1892 was a 
delegate at large to the Chicago convention that again nominated Mr. Cleveland, 



RErRESKNTATIVK MKN OF TlIK UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 97 

and was one of his most efficient supporters. In i8qo, after repeatedly refusing to 
allow his name to be used before the Democratic convention for the nomination of 
Governor, he yielded two days before the convention, and came within a very few 
votes of being nominated. It is well known to his friends that he did not desire 
the nomination, although he expected that the nominee of the convention would be 
elected. Those of his friends who possess his confidence know that he did not 
want to be Governor. 

In 1891 Colonel Knight began to be talked about for Senator to succeed Sena- 
tor Sawyer, upon the assumption that his party would have a majority of the Legis- 
lature and elect such successor, and he became a candidate before the Legislature 
that met in January, 1893, his competitors being Colonel John L. Mitchell, of Mil- 
waukee, and General E. S. Bragg, of Fond du Lac. The caucus was about ten 
days deciding between the three gentlemen; Colonel Mitchell won and was elected 
Senator. 

As a benefactor to the city of Ashland, Colonel Knight stands second to none. 
Every project destined to enhance her interests receives cordial support from him. 
In 1890 he erected the magnificent Knight Block, without doubt the finest block in 
northern Wisconsin. In addition to stores and offices, it contains the Hotel Knight, 
a hotel that would be a credit to our best cities, and which has done much toward 
making Ashland popular with the traveling public, as well as to bring one more 
enterprise within the scope of Colonel Knight's versatile genius. 



REUBEN GOLD THWAITES, 



~|l /FR. THWAITES was born in Boston, Massachusetts, May 15, 1853, and is a 
i-tX son of William G. and Sarah Thwaites. He was educated in the Boston 
schools and Yale College, taking the post-graduate course at the latter, from 1873 
to 1876. At the age of thirteen he came West to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and in the 
winter of 1871-72 taught school in Winnebago county. In 1872 he entered the field 
of journalism by becoming city editor of the Oshkosh Times, but in the fall of 1873 
resigned to enter Yale College, where he remained until 1876, at the same time 
writing for Boston. New Haven, and Chicago newspapers. In May, 1876, he re- 
turned to Wisconsin and located at Madison, where he became cit}' editor of the 
Wisconsin State Journal, and in 1877 took charge of that paper as managing editor, 
and also conducted a Wisconsin news syndicate which furnished Wisconsin news 
to the papers of New York, Chicago, St. Louis, and other cities. In 1884 he was 
elected assistant secretary of the .State Historical Society of Wisconsin, and at the 
opening of 1887 assumed the post as secretary of that institution, — a position 
he still occupies. Mr. Thwaites has written numerous articles on history and travel, 
consisting of books, magazine articles, pamphlets, and historical monographs. 
He is editor of the Wisconsin Historical Collections and of all the other publications 
of the society. In addition to sketches in various jjublications he has written the 



9o BIOGRAPHICAL DIC'JIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 

followingf books: " Historic Waterways; Six Hundred Miles of Canoeingr Down the 
Rock, Fox and Wisconsin Rivers," pviblished byA.C. McClurg& Co., 1888, 208 pages, 
duodecimo; " The Story of Wisconsin," Boston, 1890, D. Lothrop, 389 pages octavo; 
"TheColonies, 1492-1750," Longman, Green&Co., 1891,301 pages; (opening volume 
of the " Epochs of American History Series," used as text books by Harvard, Yale, 
Princeton, etc.) ; "Our Cycling Tour in England: From Canterbury to Dartmoor 
Forest and Back by Way of Bath, Oxford, and the Thames Valley," McClurg & Co., 
1892, 315 pages, duodecimo. 

In 1882 Mr. Thwaites was married to Miss Jessie Turvill, of Madison. They 
have one child. They are members of the Unitarian Church. Mr. Thwaites has 
traveled over much of the United States and Europe. As executive officer of the 
State Historical Society of Wisconsin, he has control over a library containing over 
175,000 volumes, — the largest reference library west of the Alleghany mountains. 



AUGUSTUS LEDYARD SMITH, 

APPLETON. 

HON. AUGUSTUS LEDYARD SMITH was born April 5, 1833, in Middle- 
town, Middlesex county, Connecticut. His father, Augustus W. Smith, LL. 
D., was a native of Newport, New York, and represented a family which was prom- 
inent in educational, social and intellectual position. He was a graduate of Ham- 
ilton College, and was a man of eminence in educational affairs. From 1826 to 
1830 he was principal of the Cazenovia (New York) Seminary, and in 1831 accepted 
a chair in the Wesleyan University, in Middletown, then in process of organization, 
and was associated with Dr. Wilbur Fisk in the incipient management of that insti- 
tution. The reputation which it has gained and held for many years is second to 
none in the country, and manifests the character of its projectors and the quality of 
judgment exercised in its establishment. Mr. Smith sustained his relations to the 
university until 1852, when he was made its president. In 1857 he resigned this 
office to accept a professorship of mathematics in the United States Naval Acad- 
emy at Annapolis, Maryland, having been appointed by Secretary Tousey, and during 
the same year President Buchanan commissioned him a professor of mathematics 
in that institution. This was a regular United States naval appointment, and car- 
ried with it the rank of Commander ; there were but twelve such appointments 
in the naval service. He continued in that connection until his death in 1866. 
The ancestors of Dr. Smith were from England, and were among the earliest 
settlers in America. The mother of the subject of this biography, whose maiden 
name was Catherine R. Childs, was a member of a family distinguished in position 
and ancestry. She was a lineal descendant of several individuals who became dis- 
tinguished through patriotism in the struggles of our country. The great-grand- 
father of Mr. Smith iwas General Ledyard, an officer in both wars with England. 
Colonel Ledyard, an officer in the Revolution, who is jirominently mentioned in all 
histories of that struggle, was a member of the family and was an uncle of Mr. 



X 




CAVLO, JjLGLy rxu^^vxZd 




KEPRKSKMATIVK MEN OK lllE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. lOl 

Smith's great-grandfather. He fought at New London and Fort Griswold, Con- 
necticut, and was killed at Groton, in the same State. Thomas Childs, the pater- 
nal uncle of Mr. Smith's mother, was a prominent officer in the Mexican war, and 
was made Governor of Pueblo de los Angeles, May 15, 1847, on the occupation of 
that place by the United States troops ; he had the rank of Major General. His 
father, Timothy Childs, was a surgeon in the army during the Revolution. Another 
of Mr. Child's illustrious ancestors was Colonel Forman, of New Jersey, who was 
one of the organizers of the military order of Cincinnati ; he was of the maternal 
branch of the family. His paternal progenitors were also active in the struggle for 
independence. 

Mr. Smith, whose name heads this l)iography, was brought up and educated 
in his native place, and at the age of twenty-one graduated at the university at 
Middletown. He came to Madison, Wisconsin, soon afterwarci, to take a position 
as tutor in the University of Wisconsin, and officiated in that relation for two years. 
In 1856 he became connected with the office of school lands in Wisconsin, and 
through the efforts and solicitation of Hon. Horatio Seymour, of New York, he be- 
came connected with the Fox & Wisconsin Improvement Company, which was 
organized for the purpose of improving Fox and Wisconsin rivers from Green Bay 
to the Mississippi river. At that time the officers of the corporation were located 
at Fond du Lac, and Mr. Smith conducted its affairs from that point for a year. In 
1858 he transferred the headquarters to Green Bay, and a year later to Appleton. 

The chief portion of the work contemplated by the company was to build canals 
around the rapids, constructing the necessary locks. The Government made a 
grant of land to Wisconsin for that purpose, and the State transferred the grant to 
the company, under restrictions and stipulations that on the completion of a navi- 
gable route from Green Bay to Portage City the title of the included lands should 
pass to the company. The stipulations also provided for the sale of part of these 
lapds, on condition that a portion of the proceeds should be devoted to said im- 
I)rovements. The remainder was to be the property of the company for expenses 
incurred. 

Mr. Smith had charge of the business relations of the company in the capacity 
of secretary and treasurer, representing the State and operating in the same rela- 
tions to the company. Fven if no other evidence of the abilities and character of 
Mr. Smith was in existence, this simple statement would suffice to illustrate the ex- 
ecutive and guiding power he possesses. 

The work was completed as far as Oshkosh, when, in 1861, the condition of 
national affairs and the inactivity consequent upon the internal disturbances pro- 
duced a business stagnation, which had its effect upon the affairs of the company, 
'and further progress in the work of improvement was suspended. Mr. Smith then 
accepted the professorship in the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, and 
then removed to Newport, Rhode Island, where he was assigned to duty on the 
■^team frigate Constitution. 

It gradually became apparent that the United States was equal to the emer- 
gency, and confidence being restored, the business of the company brightened and 
the services of Mr. Smith again became indispensible. Resigning his position at 



i;i<u:KArinr,\i, iucikinaks anh rouiKAii' (;ai,i,I';kv ok 'I'iik 



the Ncwpoil I'uilcd Stales Na\al Academy, wliere In- Iiad served from iSOi to 
|S()_',, he resumed his duties vvilii the eoinpaiiy, returni'd to Applclon, and lite vvori-: 
of improvement was resumed and eontinued on the upjji-r l""ox river. I'^ITorls were 
also used to induiH- shippers to become personally interested in the route, in order 
to secure additional resources for the si)eedy completion of the improvements. The 
advanla^a-s from this source were insii^nificant, the exi)enditures were lart^ely in 
e.Kcess of the receipts from thi' tolls and the sales of land, and the tiecessary funds 
were ohtaitied through the s.de of l)()nds secured hy mort^a^i' on the jjroperty of 
the companv, inclusivi- ol its lands, the security ht'in^ actually a second mortifaire, 
the Stale holdiui; its original claim lor money exi)ended prior to the ory^anization 
ol the l'()\ and W iscousiii Improvenu-nl C"om|iany ; norcould the title of the lands 
pass unl il t he completion ol the project. Accordin;^ to ihe ori;.^inal conditions on 
which tlieL;ranl was translerred, suKicicnt moiu-y had to headxanced to secure the 
ohlif^al ion to 1 he Slate, ,md in iS()() it iiec.ime necessary for the 1 rustees ol the Sl.ik! 
to foreck)se the mort^aiAC i)onds, and ihe sale of the pi"oiiert\ unck-r the same se- 
cured a sulhcient amount to reimhurse the Slate, and to phuc on deposit with the 
State Treasurer money to complete the work in every tletail, as originally provided 
in the ail ol the incorporation ol the compan\ and tlu- londitions of the transfer 
by tlu! State to them. Tiie purchasers of the property or<fani/ed the Green l^ay 
and Mississipi)i (.'anal (Omp.iuy, and hy the said purchase they became owners of 
the entire franchise of the water powers and the remainin>4 lands of the former 
corporation. The relations ol Mr. Smith to the nt'w corporation were the same as 
to the old, an<i he occupied the position until 1S72. Not lon^' iiefore tlu' sale, the 
lands were dixided anuiUL; the stockholders, on a fro rata basis, thus securini;- to 
tiiem iiidi\idu,d titles, and Mr. Smith now (iS(),|) holds |)owei"s ol attorney Irom 
the sexeral stockholders to coiuhnl .dl necessary transactions relaliuL; to them, lie 
has ojierated continuously in this rel.ition from 1857. 

in 1S72 a scries of public meetiui^s WH-re lield in relation to franchises in \\ is- 
consin, Minnesota and Iowa, which residted in the transfer of their franchises in 
the navif^ation locks ami canals by the I'lreeii Hay ami Mississippi River Company 
to the General ("lovernmenl, which, b\ act of Conjj;ress, authorized the piue-hase. 
The pi'ice was li\ed by aibil r.il Ion, ihe court consisting ol two members clioscMi b^' 
the respectixe parlies ,ind one mendier chosen b\' these two. 1 he I'uited .States, 
however, relused to accept and pa\ lor the water powers cre.ited by tlu'sevei'al 
dams, and that franchise is still in possession of the company. Mr. Smith stilt sus- 
tains iiis rel.ilious to the corpiUMt ion ,ind conducts the business. 

In 1870 Mr. ,Su\ilh oryani/ed the I'irsl National H.mk of Appleton, and for 
more tiian t w enl\ v eais he acted ,is its president, and the success of the institu- 
tion was in no sm.dl dcLjree due to his skill ,iud integrity in its mana^enient. He 
was president of the .\ppleton Iron (."omp.inv until the destruction of their works 
by lire in 1SS7; he w.isone of the lUM^iual nuMubers of the company. In iSSi he 
w.is the le.uiini;- spirit in the orLjani/alion of the .\ppleton lulison Liji'ht Company, 
Limited, which was the lirst or,u;anization in the world to distribute lijj^ht for com- 
merci.d purposes from a centi"al station. Hefoie tiiis plant was constructed it hatl 
never been pr.uiic.div demonst r.ited th.it li^ht could be carried over a cit\' for anv 



KKl'RliSKNTArnii MEN Ol' 1 UK UNlTKlJ STATKS; WISCONSIN VCM.UME. IO3 

(listaruc. Mr. Edison took a dci'i) iiitcicsi in the conslrnci ion of the plant, and M r. 
Smith held frequent consultations w ilh him regardini^ it. The electricity was jjjen- 
erated by hydraulic power, and was ijrofitable from the start. Later the company 
purchased the street railway plant, which it now operates in connection with its 
li>^hting. In August, 1894, Mr. Smith was elected vice-president of tlu= National 
Association of the Edison Illuminating Companies. 

Politically, Mr. Smith acts with the Democratic ])arly. In icSjo hv. was eUicted 
Mayor of the city; in 1H73 4 he served as Councilman ; and in i8()6 7 he was State 
Senator from the sixth district. In the Legislature, as in i^rivate matters, he 
showed great business capacities. Among the important measures in which he took 
a leading i)art was the reorganization of the State University, which was effected 
during the session of 1867. The committees on which he did the most and best 
work were those on education and on incorporations. While still a member of the 
Senate, in 1S67, Governor I'airchild appointed him regent of the State University, 
a position which he held six successive years. He is now, and has been for several 
years, trustee of the Wesleyan University of Middletown, Connecticut, his (i////u 
matir, in his nati\f town, and was for many years also trustee of Lawrence Uni- 
versity at Ajipleton. These latter are relations which he justly regards with pride 
and satisfaction. In i.Sgi he was appointed president of the Wisconsin Board of 
World's I'air Managers, and took a deep interest in all that pertained to the Col- 
umbian Exposition. He is very popular, being a favorite with all classes, and com- 
mands the respect and confidence of the entire community. In 1S84 he was nom- 
inated, on the Democratic ticket, for the jjosition of Representative in Congress; 
the district was from four to five thousand R(;i)ublican majority, but so highly was 
he esteemed that the usual majority was reduced to less than a thousand votes. 

Although most active in business and foremost in all enterprises organized to 
enhance the material prosperity of Appleton, he is domestic in his tastes and'habits. 
He has a stately and elegant residence on the high bank of Fox river, seventy feet 
above low-water mark, with a veranda facing the stream, whi( h may readily be con- 
verted into a conservatory in the winter, with grounds tastefully platted and adorned 
and one of the finest landscape views which the Fox valley presents'. He has fine 
literary tastes, and possesses one of tin; largest and best selected libraries in the 
State. I-'rom his father he inherited a valuable collection of books, to which he has 
add(,'d yearly. An admirer of old and rare publications would deeply enjoy the 
Itrivilege of inspecting his book-shelves. He is also the possessor of many fint; pic- 
tures — indices of culture, refmem(.-nt and wealth. 

Several years ag(j, at the breaking up of the Business Men's Association, he 
established what was called the Aj^pleton Athletic and Amusement Association, 
giving up the greater portion of a large three-story double building, in which he 
established a reading room, a complete gymnasium, a bowling alley, card room, re- 
ception room and a billiard and i)ooI room. He deemed it of considerable import- 
ance to the best interests of the ( il\- of ;\i)pleton that such an institution should be 
maintained. To become members of this association, he charg<;d a v(;ry light 
annual fee, Imt it is very largely at his own expense that it is maintained. The city 
will have to grow very sensibly to make the fees equal the expenses. 



JilOCIKArillCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



On October 30, i860, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Edna J. Taylor, then of 
Chicago but previously of Madison, Wisconsin. They had two sons : Augustus 
Ledyard Smith, Jr., who is the general manager of the mills of the Manufacturers' 
Investment Company ; and Franklin Taylor Smith, an attorney of Milwaukee. 
Mrs. Smith died April 3, 1894. She was a lady of much refinement and in full sym- 
pathy with her husband in all his tastes and interests, and therefore her loss is all 
the more keenly felt. 

Mr. Smith is a regular attendant of the Congregational Church, is a liberal con- 
tributor to religious societies and literary institutions, and warmly interested in 
every organization or enterprise calculated to enhance the social, moral and intel- 
lectual, as well as material, interests of the city of Appleton and State of Wisconsin. 



HON. JOHN B. WINSLOW, 



JUDGE JOHN BRADLEY WINSLOW, Associate Justice of the Supreme 
Court of Wisconsin, has made a record so exceptional for one of his years 
that a sketch of his life, is of more than passing interest. The time-worn adage, 
"Old men for counsel and young men for war," has proved to be unsound. Young 
men possessed of vigorous thought and action are gaining places of the first rank 
in the world of science, art, education, theology, statescraft and law. Racine county 
has furnished a goodly number of talented young men, but none of whom she may 
more justly be proud than the well-known gentleman, whose name heads this 
sketch. ■ 

fudge Winslow was born in Nunda, Livingston county. New York, October 4, 
1851, apd is the only son of Horatio G. and Emily (Bradley) Winslow, a sketch of 
whom appears elsewhere in this volume. He was but four years of age when the 
family moved to Racine. After attending the high school of that city, at the age 
of fourteen he entered Racine College, and was graduated in 1871, with the degree 
of A. B. The following year he began to read law in the office of Judge E. O. 
Hand, and continued until 1873, when he became a clerk and student to the law 
firm of Fuller & Dyer, where he remained until September, 1874. He then entered 
the law department of the State University, in Madison. Having graduated from 
that institution in 1875, we find him at Racine again, occupying the position of clerk 
in the office of Fuller & Harkness. Ill health caused the latter to withdraw from 
the firm and Judge Winslow was admitted to his place. In the year 1876 the Demo- 
cratic party made Mr. Winslow standard-bearer for the position of District Attor- 
ney, but the Republican majority was too strong to be overcome. The following 
year the firm of Fuller and Winslow was dissolved by mutual consent. In the spring 
of 1879 Mr. Winslow was elected City Attorney, and re-elected in 1880, 1881 and 
1882. In the meantime he had formed a partnership, in January, 1880, with Charles 
A. Brownson, now deceased, which connection continued two years, when he be- 



REPRKSENTATINK MKN OV TlIK UNITED STAIES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. IO5 



came a partner of j. V. Qtiarles, the distiiij^aished attorney, now of Milwaukee, 
which continued only one year, as Mr. Winslow was elected Circuit Judge of the 
I'irst judicial Circuit, comprising the counties of Racine, Kenosha and Walworth. 
So ably did he fill the position that in iS8q he was re-elected without opposition and 
continued to hold the office until his appointment to the Supreme Bench of the 
State, by Governor Peck, in iSgi. 

At Racine, on the iQth of January, i8<Si, Judge Winslow wedtled Miss Agnes 
Clancy, daughter of Martin Clancy, and unto them have been born five children, 
two sons and three daughters. 

In political sentiment he is a staunch Democrat, having cast his first vote for 
Horace Greeley. 

As a counsellor and advocate, Mr. Winslow has won a reputation that is far 
more than local, but it is as a judge of law that he has gained the greatest cele- 
brity. Of a judicial turn of mind and well versed in law, his decisions carry with 
them weight and respect. 



HON. JOHN GOODLAND, 

AI'ri.ETON. 

HON. JOHN GOODLAND, Judge of the Tenth Judicial Circuit, is a nativeof 
Somersetshire, England, having been born at Taunton, August lo, 1831. His 
parents were William and Abigail (SharmanI Goodland, the former a merchant of 
Taunton. 

Our subject's early life was passed in his native city, where he enjoyed the ad- 
vantages of an academic education until his fourteenth year, at which time he 
entered a mercer or woolen-draper's shop as an apprentice, where he remained for 
three years, learning the trade. 

Being naturally of an adventurous spirit, upon the completion of his appren- 
ticeship he set out for America and landed in New York city in 1849. He at once 
proceeded to Oneida county, where he remained some little time, engaging in 
various occupations and later lived at both Brockport and Rochester in the same 
State. 

In 1854 he came to Wisconsin, settling at -Sharon, in Walworth county, and 
engaged in teaching school and clerking in a store. During his residence at Sharon 
he was elected to various local offices, prominent among them being those of Town 
Clerk and Justice of the Peace. 

In 1864 he left Sharon and entered the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern 
Railway Company, at Chicago, in its freight department, and after a service of two 
years and a half, was appointed, in 1867, station master at Appleton, and proceeded 
to his new field of labor. 

In this capacity he passed the ensuing seven years, and then resigned his posi- 
tion and engaged in the insurance business, in which he met with fair success. 

In the meantime, his inclinations being decidedly of a legal turn he had lakcn 



I06 BIOGRAPHICAI, DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALI.KRY OK TllK 

up the Study of law, and after having spent several years in study he was, in 1879, 
admitted to the liar, and at once entered upon the practice of his profession, which 
he prosecuted most successfully. 

In 1888 he was elected District Attorney, and held the office two years, when he 
resigned to accept the nomination for the circuit bench, to which he was elected in 
the spring of i8qi, for the term beginning January i, 1S92. His circuit comprises 
the counties of Outagamie, Shawano, Langlade, Forest and Florence. 

In August, 1891, Judge G. H. Meyers died, and Mr. Goodland was appointed 
by Governor Peck to fill his unexpired term, His present term will expire January 
I, 1898. Before his election to the bench, Judge Goodland was an active and zeal- 
ous member of the Democratic party, though since then he has taken no active 
part in politics. Prior to that time he had held minor local offices and worked hard 
for party success. As a political speaker and public orator, he ranks with the 
ablest. 

Judge Goodland is a member of the Masonic orcier, and in his religious views 
believes in the doctrines of the Episcopal Church. 

He has, since coming to this country, twice visited England, on journeys to his 
boyhood's home. 

In 1850 he was married to Miss Caroline M. Clark, of Sangerfield, Oneida 
county. New York. Mrs. Goodland, who was a lady of many excellent and en- 
dearing traits of character, died October 26, 1893, survived bj' her sorrowing hus- 
band and seven children, — four sons and three daughters. 



DANIEL L. LIBBEY, 



OSIIKOSM. 



THE career of him whose name heads this biography, illustrates most forcibly the 
possibilities that are open to a young man who possesses sterling business quali- 
fications. It proves that neither wealth nor social position, nor the assistance of 
influential friends at the outset of his career, is at all necessary to place a young 
man upon the road to success. It also proves that ambitious perseverance, stead- 
fastness of purpose and indefatigable industry, combined with sound business prin- 
ciples, will be rewarded, and that true success follows individual efforts only. 

Daniel Lord Libbey was born October 28, 1823, in Ossipee, New Hampshire, 
the fifth of eleven children. His father, Nathaniel Libbey, followed the sea in his 
youth, but later engaged in lumbering and farming. The American ancestry of 
Mr. Libbey is traceable to the earliest settlement of New England. He is a descend- 
ant, of the seventh generation in a direct line, from John Libbey, who was born in 
England in the beginning of the seventeenth century, and who emigrated to New 
England about the year 1635. " 

When Daniel was* about ten years old, his father removed to Bethlehem, New 
Hampshire, where he was engaged in lumbering for several years and afterward in 
farming. He was a selectman of that town several years and represented it in the 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. ICQ 



Legislature of the State. When Daniel was about seventeen, his father died, leav- 
ing his widowed mother with six children younger than himself and with scanty 
means. The situation required that he should in some way provide for himself, and 
at the age of eighteen he left home to make his way in the world as best he might. 
His education had been such as the common schools of New Hampshire afforded 
at that time, and without any definite idea of how or where to begin, he went to 
Boston and thence to Lowell, Massachusetts, where he found employment in an iron 
foundry and learned the trade of a moulder. He followed this occupation indus- 
triously, saving a little money from his earnings, until the fall of 1849. 

I'pon the discovery of gold in California, in 1849, Mr. Libbey, like many other 
young men, heard of the rich gold diggings, and resolved to try his fortune there. 
But to him, as to many others, the matter of going or not going was a business pro- 
blem. Risks were to be taken in going at all, but to reduce the risk to a minimum, 
he and his companions made the adventure legitimate business enterprise. 

He became one of a company of one hundred, who invested a capital of $300 
each in a ship and cargo for the San Francisco market. The company was formed 
in December, 1849, and on the 4th day of February, 1850, they sailed from Boston; 
a company of genuine Argonauts of '49. After a fairly good voyage of five months 
and a day, they reached San Francisco on the 3rd of July, not without some risk, nor 
without encountering some perils, which those who remained at home avoided. 
Thick weather between the coast of Patagonia and the Falkland islands, in which 
for days the sun was invisible, rendered a shipwreck not improbable. A terrific gale 
of fortj'-eight hours off Cape Horn, threatened to terminate their voyage and their 
lives together. But when they reached and sailed into the Golden Gate, their orig- 
inal capital was with them unimpaired. They sold their cargo and paid off a debt 
of five thousand dollars, contracted in its purchase. They then sold their ship and 
cargo, and each took his share of the ]>roceeds and went his way. 

.Mr. Libbey, with two companions, journeyed to the diggings with pick, pan and 
shovel. For three years he worked and led the life of a miner in the early days of 
California, a life of toil, privation, and isolation from all that rcMulers life enjoyable. 
.•\t the and of three years, Mr. Libbey returned home, but after a visit of three or 
four months, he went back to California, where he remained two years more, being 
most of the time engaged in mining. 

In the spring of 1855, he returned home, and was married, and in the fall of that 
year removed to the State of Wisconsin, \\ itli a few thousand dollars of accumulated 
capital and a determination to engage in the lumbering business. The little city of 
Oshkosh, with a population of about 4,000, in 1855, was even then the seat of an 
active industry in the manufacture of lumber. No railroads had yet reached that 
point, and the business of lumbering was then subject to vicissitudes which could not 
be foreseen. 

To this little western city of Oshkosh, Mr. Lil)l)ey came to engage in his chosen 
nccupatif)n at the age of thirty-two. His first investment was the purchase of an 
undivided half of a sawmill, the other half being owned by Mr. John Chase. Instead 
of forming any i)usin(;ss connection, the two men operate-d the mill alternately for 



no BIOGRAI'llKAl, DRTIONAKV AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

two years, each running it half the time during the sawing season on his own account. 
At the end of the two years, Mr. Libbey purchased the interest of Mr. Chase in the 
mill, and for many years afterward quietly and unostentatiously pursued the busi- 
ness of manufacturing and selling lumber. His close attention to, and sagacious 
management of, his business insured its success, and he soon began to be known 
and inspire confidence as a man fair and honorable in his dealings and true to all 
obligations; a safe man, who was reasonably sure to score a success. 

The energetic character of Mr. Libbey was well illustrated in 1862. His mill 
and a large quantity of lumber were entirely consumed by fire. It was nearly or quite 
impossible, at that time, to procure insurance on that kind of property in Oshkosh, 
and he consequently had none. This was a serious blow to him, but he went ener- 
getically to work to rebuild, and in ninety days he had a new and better mill on the 
site of the old one. 

In a few years he began to take rank among the capitalists of the growing city. 
In 1S71, the Union National Bank of Oshkosh was organized with $100,000 capital, 
and Mr. Libbey was elected its president, — a position he has since continuously 
occupied. 

He has always been foremost in aiding the growth and prosperity of Oshkosh 
by the use of his capital in aid of the skill and industry of others in various business 
enterprises. He is a large stockholder in and president of the Williamson & Lib- 
bey Lumber Company, which was incorporated in 1879, to continue the business 
of the former firm of Williamson, Libbey & Company. This corporation has an 
extensive factory for the manufacture of sash, doors, blinds and other finished 
work. Mr. Libbey has embarked in many other enterprises where the use of his 
capital created employment for a large number of men and sustained many families. 
He is a director in several corporations, and is treasurer of the Thompson Carriage 
Works of Oshkosh and largely interested in the Fulton & Libbey Company of 
Minneapolis. He was one of the promoters, and is now a large stockholder in the 
Atheran, a magnificent hotel building, which is a pride to the city. Aside from his 
various business enterprises, he devotes much attention to his fine farm of 300 acres, 
which is situated a mile north of Oshkosh, on the shore of the beautiful Lake 
Winnebago. 

Mr. Libbey has never posed as a philanthropist or public benefactor, but by the 
honest and honorable methods by which he has acquired a fortune, and especially 
bj' the manner in which he uses it, he is fairly entitled to consideration, and is re- 
cognized as one who deserves the utmost confidence and esteem of his communitj'. 
He has always evinced a public-spirited citizen's interest in municipal affairs, but 
has been too busilj' engaged with personal matters to engage prominently in public 
matters. He has, however, served several times as Alderman in the City Council 
and also as a member of the County Board of Supervisors, and his intelligent and 
conscientious discharge of his duties in these capacities, as well as the good influ- 
ence which his sound judgment and high character exerted on them, are evidences 
that he would be a valuable representative in higher positions. He is, however, not 
only too busy, but is also too modest a man to enter the list for public honors. 



KEI'KESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. Ill 

Mr. Libbeywas first married May 2g, 1855, to Mary Caroline Reynolds, of Green- 
field, New Hampshire, who died January 29, 1869, greatly lamented by all who knew 
her. June 11, 1872, Mr. Libbey was married to Lura A. Reed, of Phillips, Maine. 
He has four surviving children; his oldest son, a young man of great promise, died 
several years ago. 

It is not because of special prominence in public affairs that Mr. Libbey has, 
and is justly entitled to the respect and confidence of his fellow men, nor is it 
solel}' because he has acquired wealth, for some do that who have neither the respect 
nor confidence of others, but it is because, in a comparatively pre-eminent degree, 
he is a representative man of a class, to whom, more than to any other, is due the 
continued growth and prosperity of the many thriving cities of the West. 



WANTON K. RIDEOUT, 



IN this enlighted age, when men of energy, industry and merit are rapidly push- 
ing themselves to the front, those who by their own unaided efforts have won 
favor and fortune may properly claim recognition. Years ago, when the West was 
entering upon its era of growth and development, and Wisconsin was laying the 
foundation for future prosperity, there came thither from all parts of the country, 
men poor but honest and with that sturdy independence and a determination to 
succeed that justly entitles them to a page in the history of the Northwest. 

Among the names of those who came her^ empty-handed and have through 
their ability and perseverance overcome serious obstacles and earned for them- 
selves honor, esteem and wealth, that of Wanton Kendrick Rideout is worthy a 
conspicuous place. He was born in Richmond, Maine, July 15, 1840. His father. 
Wanton S. Rideout, was a member of an old New England family. He occupied a 
prominent position in the community, and during the war of 181 2 served his coun- 
try as a Captain, and in that capacity commanded Fort Popham. The mother of 
our subject, Elenor iicc Perry, was also of Colonial ancestry. Her family was also 
prominently identified with the early wars, and counted among its members the 
immortal naval officer. Commodore Perry, who was her cousin. 

The boyhood days of the subject of this sketch were passed upon a farm. 1 le 
attended district school as opportunity offered, but losing his father by death when 
he was six years of age, his actions were controlled by his half-brother, Benjamin 
Rideout, under whom he learned the carpenter and joiner trade. He remained in 
his native town until he was si.xteen years old, having worked some at his trade. 
In 1857, accompanied by his half-brother, he came West to Wisconsin, locating in 
Hortonville, where he continued to work at carpentering. When he reached the 
age of twenty, his half-brother died suddenly without having made any provision 
to remunerate him for services rendered. His deceased brother's family being 
large and their v\ftft(\ greater than his, he never requested any division of the prop- 
ert\', but determined to move onward on his own account. 1 \v engaged in con- 



BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



trading in a small way, erected houses, bridges and other structures, and soon 
found himself upon a prosperous road. In 1864 he enlisted into the army as a pri- 
vate of Company F, Forty-third Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, which be- 
came part of General Thomas' brigade, and followed the fortunes of that officer 
during the balance of the war. Being mustered out of the service in July, 1865, he 
returned to Hortonville, and shortly thereafter built, on a small scale, a planing 
mill and sash, door and blind factory. Some five years later he purchased a saw- 
mill and began to manufacture lumber. During all this time he continued to con- 
tract for the erection of buildings and bridges, and through manufacturing his 
lumber and sash, doors and blinds he was enabled to underbid competitors and still 
clear large and remunerative profits. As the country developed his business in- 
creased, and his profits became larger. He constructed buildings over a large sec- 
tion surrounding Hortonville, and through hard work and sound business principles 
climbed upward step by step. About the year 1878 the Milwaukee & Lake Shore 
Railroad Company built a railroad through that section of the State, and two years 
later, when an outlet was thus secured, Mr. Rideout erected a sawmill at Eland 
Junction. This mill he still owns and runs. About 1884 he purchased from the 
Milwaukee & Lake Shore Traffic Company their entire plant at Norrie. This con- 
sisted of sawmill, pine lands, timber, logs, lumber, hotel and other property. The 
purchase price was $150,000. He operated the plant for several years, cutting off 
most of the timber, but a few years ago the mill was burned, and he disposed of 
the entire property. This enterprise was very profitable and proved him to be far- 
seeing in matters of business. 

In 1885 Mr. Rideout erected a residence in Oshkosh, and since then has made 
that city his home. He soon became identified with various enterprises, and has 
taken his place as one of its most progressive citizens. He was largely instrumental 
in organizing the Thompson Carriage Company, becoming its president, — a position 
he held until the fall of 1893, when he disposed of his interests in that corporation. 
In the fall of 1885 he became a stockholder and director of the Union National 
Bank (now the National Union Bank), and in January, 1894, was elected vice-pres- 
ident of that financial institution. He is also president of the Howard Paper Com- 
pany, of Menasha, which is capitalized for $125,000, and likewise president of 
the Oshkosh Match Company, a most prosperous corporation, capitalized for $150,- 
000. He is also president of the Libbey Wall Paper Company, and is financially 
interested in the Foote-Cornish flouring mill and the Metropolitan National Bank, of 
Minneapolis, Minnesota, besides various mining companies and other corporations. 
A perusal of the above outline of his business career will convince the reader that Mr. 
Rideout has had but little time to spare for anything not connected with his busi- 
ness interests. Although deeply interested as a citizen in the cause of good govern- 
ment, and being of strong Republican faith, he has never desired political position. 

He has traveled quite extensively over Europe and America, and by friction 
with the people of the various countries and sections he has visited, his mind has 
been broadened and hp has examined below the surface, and has discovered the 
true cause of most of the misery of the poor. He believes that intemperance is the 
cause of most poverty and the parent of most vices. He has never used intoxicat- 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. II3 



in<jr li(luors nor tobacc-o. He has used his influence in the cause of temperance, and 
is a worthy member in the Temple of Honor and the Good Templars. For more 
than tliirty years he has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
and has thrice passed throu<i;h the chairs of that order. He is also a member of 
the Masonic fraternity and the Knights of Pythias. He is devoted to his business 
interests, and strives to give his personal supervision to all his business affairs ; con- 
sequently he has but little time for recreation. However, he has a steam yacht in 
which he delights to cruise during the warm summer months, and finds recreation 
and rest on lioard his boat. He was married in 1861, in Hortonville, Wisconsin, to 
Kli/a j. 1 lagan. Three children, of whom a son and daughter are living, resulted 
from this union. VAhi M. is the wife of M. C. Porter, an attorney, of Merrill, Wis- 
consin ; William A., the son, is now located at Eland Junction. Parmelia died at 
the age of twelve. Mrs. Rideout is deeply interested in charitable work, and is ac- 
tively associated with the Benevolent -Society and the Rebekah Lodge, of which she is 
Xoble Grand. Her sympathies are enlisted in the cause of charity, and she takes 
a leading part in alleviating the suffering of humanity. Mr. and Mrs. Rideout attend 
the Congregational Church. 

Mr. Rideout is still in the very prime of vigorous manhood. lie has erected 
for himself substantially and soundly a business record above reproach. He is a 
self-made man in the fullest sense of the term. He owes his success to his individ- 
ual efforts, honesty of purpose, integrity and sobriety. His entire career, both 
business and social, should be a lesson to young men, for it proves most forcibly 
that if a young man be industrious, temperate and honest he can attain success and 
command the respect of all who know him. 



HON. GILBERT L. PARK, 

STEVENS rOINT. 

••'» I )ROBABLY no man that has ever resided in northern Wisconsin counted 
-I more personal friends than the late Judge Park. He was honored for his 
uprightness on the bench, admired for his legal learning and loved for his true 
manly qualities. This section of the State suffered an irreparable loss by his 
death." 

'Vhv above remarks were uttered by one who knew the subject of this 
biography for over a quarter of a century, and are a true index to the popular feel- 
ing regarding Judge Gilbert L. Park. He was born in Scipio, Cayuga county, New 
York, August 31st, 1824, and was a .son of Elisha and Sarah (McDowell) Park. 
His grandfather, Joel Park, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war and aided in 
the capture of General Biirgoyne and his army. His father, a farmer by occupa- 
tion, was highly esteemed in his community. Gilbert passed his boyhood on his 
father's farm and attended school during about half of the time during each year. At 
the age of fifteen he conceived the idea of seeing some of the hyperborean world, 
and running away from school enlisted in the Hudson's Ba}- Company's service, and 
went up the Ottawa river in Canada to Hudson's Bay, and as far northward as P'ort 
Churchill, on the Severn river. Returning to Georgian Bay, lie there Ic-ft the com- 



114 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



pany at the end of one year, and took passage on a steamer to Detroit, and went 
thence to Port Dover, now in the province of Ontario, where his father's family 
had shortly before settled. 

Young Park next spent three years at an academy in Millville, Orleans 
county, New York. At the end of that time he returned to Canada (then Canada 
West) and engaged in business for himself as a lumberman, and continued the 
same for two years with excellent success ; but losing a large raft in a storm on 
Lake Erie in 1848, it passing in a disrupted state over the cataract of Niagara, he 
closed out the business and going to Kalamazoo, Michigan, studied law with Hon. 
N. A. Balch, and was admitted to the bar of Kalamazoo county in September, 
185 1. 

He removed to Wisconsin in the following November and after exhausting 
his funds in prospecting, went to work cutting saw-logs on the Wisconsin river. He 
continued in that business until September, 1852, when he formed a law partner- 
ship with James T. Alban at Plover. This firm continued business nearly four 
years, when in June, 1855, Mr. Park moved to Stevens Point, then a rising town 
five miles north, where he continued his practice, and earned for himself a prom- 
inent position at the bar. He was District Attorney of Portage county for four 
consecutive years, commencing in 1854; he was Mayor of Stevens Point at the 
opening of the civil war, and resigned and went into the army as Adjutant of the 
Eighteenth Regiment Wisconsin Infantry, Colonel Alban commanding. He after- 
ward became Captain of Company G of the same regiment, and accompanied it 
through all its fortunes and misfortunes, nearly three and a half years, and re- 
turned to Stevens Point in the spring of 1865, and resumed his legal practice, the 
same time applying himself very assiduously to a review of his studies. In a short 
time he became a strong man both as a jury and a court lawyer, excelling in the 
last named. His readings were very thorough and he pursued them until forced to 
discontinue owing to failing health. 

Judge Park was appointted Circuit Judge, by Governor Taylor, on the ist of 
March, 1875, to fill a vacancy, and in April following was elected by the people for 
the full term. He was again elected in April, 1878, for the full term, which, had he 
continued to hold office, would have expired January i, 1885. As a jurist he was 
discriminating, cool, clear-headed, candid and logical. He presided with easy 
dignity, was fair and impartial and sound in judgment. 

In politics, he was a Democrat from the time of the dissolution of the Whig 
party, until his death ; during the Rebellion he was a strong war Democrat, and 
without his knowledge was nominated while in the field and run by his party for 
the State Senate two or three times. He was also a candidate for Lieutenant- 
Governor, and was twice nominated by his party for Congress. The second time 
he was a Congressional candidate he reduced a Republican majority from three 
thousand to two hundred and fifty votes. In 1876 he was delegate to the Demo- 
cratic National Convention that nominated Tilden for the Presidency. 

In 1883 Judge Park resigned from the bench because of ill health, and sought 
recuperation in travel, but he gradually succumbed to the ravages of his illness and 
died in Waukesha, Wisconsin, June 5, 1S84. 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. II5 

His death fell like? a pall upon the community. He was beloved by all, and all 
classes counted him as a friend. None of the citizens of Stevens Point had a 
warmer place in the heart of the public than he. He was active in Masonic circles, 
havin<i^ attained to the thirty-second de<jree, Scottish rites, and was buried with the 
Masonic burial ritual. 

.Among the members of the bench and bar of the State his death was most 
poignantly felt. The various organizations passed resolutions of respect and con- 
dolence fitting for the occasion and the press of the State published columns of 
matter eulogistic of him. The following extracts clipped from papers, partially ex- 
press the warm, friendly, almost brotherly feeling in which he was held by those 
who knew him well. The first is an extract from the Oshkosh Times, written 
about the time Judge Park decided to retire from the bench, and was penned by 
one who was well qualified to judge his qualities as a lawyer, as a jurist and as a 
man. After stating that Judge Park felt that his days of service ujjon the bench 
were ended, because of poor health, and that he had decided to abandon all 
worldly care, it continues as follows : 

"To a man who is by nature and education so well fitted to enjoy all that is 
worthy in this life, it must be a mental burden to dwell upon what he considers 
such unwelcome truth. To leave home and friends and dear old associations and 
peaceful surroundings, strikes even the dullest mind with a certain amount of regret 
and undefinable fear ; but how can the poignant grief be measured in such a mind 
and heart so finely attuned as are those of Judge Park ? A man who sees beauties 
in every phase and form of life; a man who is the delight of every social group — 
whether of young or old — a man whose smiles would lighten a household, whose 
frown would cause a pang of regret. The quiet ease, the social converse, the 
varied learning, all are his, and no one ever sat in his company without feeling dis- 
quieted at his departure. Never boisterous, never rude, always careful of the 
feelings of others : surely the world can ill afford to lose such men. * * * f he 
foundation for his present malady was laid in the army. But if a sunshinj' heart 
should lend assistance in warding off disease. Judge Park would still have a long 
lease of life before him. If the heartfelt wishes of his friends could lengthen his 
days he would for many years live to gladden them with his cherry presence." 

We also publish a few brief extracts from the press, published after his death. 
These give expressions regarding his personal characteristics, from parties who 
knew him well : 

"In the deatli of judge Park, another of our oldest citizens, and a man of far 
more than ordinary ability, has dropped by the roadside. 'Death,' said he to us 
in the last conversation we had with him before he went to Waukesha, 'maybe 
compared to people trying to cross on the stringers of a bridge in the nightime, 
from which the planks have been removed. The> drop off, one at a time, none 
kiKjwing when the last step was to be taken.' During six years of sickness he 
never lost courage, but hoped to journey on yet for many a year ; but he, too, has 
taken the last step, and sunk iieneath waves of the past. 

"The persistency with which he kept around, when most men would have 
taken to their beds, is characteristic of the man. His will force was remarkably 



Il6 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND IHiRlKAir C'.Al.l.KRY OF THE 



strono. lie was, tlu-iX'fiMV, a posili\r man, ami ucmt lu'sitaU'il to .uivt- full rxpres- 
sion to his opinions, and while men mij^ht not ai^ree with him, they could hut res- 
pect the honest \- of his ci>nvictions. As a hiwyer or a poHtician he was always 
aggressive, luit while he w.is re.uK to L;i\e h.ird Mows, he was just as read\- to re- 
ceive them with the utn\ost gootl nature. SoeialK, he was one ot the kiutlliest ol 
men, — one of those men who could be approacheil In all alike. As a conversation- 
alist, he was very entertaining, possessing as he did a lund of general information 
rarely met with. In rep.irlee he was remark, d)l\ iiiiiek .uul ajit. In ancient ami 
modern histor\- he had ilipped deep. llis memoi\- was remarkaMe. his miml 
grasping and retaining not only the outlines hut the ilet.iils as well. I here was 
hardly a leading charactt-r or an important e\cnt of the i^ast or present with who.se 
history he was not familiar. .As a historian he stood in the front rank among the 
scholars of the State. The death of no man in central Wisconsin would he more 
generally regretted than is his." 

Jutlgx- I'.irk w.is married I'ebruary 25. iS.sb, to Mary P. iieach, of Kalamazoo, 
Michigan. 1 le w,is siu\ i\ed b>- his wife, two sons, Byron B. and dilbert L.,anil one 
daughter, .Anna. Mrs. Bark died November q, iSqv She was a model Christian 
mother, anil swa\ eil a beneficial influence in the communitv. 



HON. W. n. HOARD, 

KOR r A rRlNSON. 

VX .dtogethcr new character in the civil and i>olitical history of Wisconsin, and 
one which has few counterparts anywhere, is William Dempster Hoanl. His 
parents were William B. ami Sarah Hoard, //<■<■ White, and he was born at Stockbriilge, 
Madison county. New York, C')ctober 10, iS_ui. where his father, a Methoilist cir- 
cuit-rider, then resided. 

His early education was derived entirely from the common schools, which were 
then none of the best. At the age of twenty-one he settled near Oak Grove, Dodge 
county, Wisconsin, where he worked on a farm, but removed in 1800 to Lake Mills, 
jeflerson county. 

In M.iy. iSoi. he enlisted in Company b. bourth Wisconsin Int. intr\. and served 
until July, iSoo, when he was dischargeil at Xew Orle.ms for disabilit\. Soon re- 
gaining his health at his former home in New \ ork, he re-enlisted, in Company A, 
First New York Artillery, and remained in the army as a private to the close ot the 
war. At the close of the conthct he returned to Wisconsin and engaged in the 
nursery business at Columbus, but in 1S70 again established himself at Lake Mills 
and began the publication of the Jefferson County Union, receiving during the same 
year the appointment of l')eputy United States INLirshal, and also took the federal 
census of Waterloo, Aztalan, Milford and Lake Mills. In 1S71 Mr. Hoard was 
elected Justice of that Peace" of Lake Mills. In 1872 he was elected Sergeant-at- 
Arms of the State Senate, and the following year removed to Fort Atkinson, which 
has since been his place of residence and the headquarters of his newspapers. 



RErRKSKNlATIVK MEN OF IIIH UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. I IQ 

There is far more than is generally understood in the career of Mr. Hoard that 
is noteworthy and creditable. Starting with absolutely no capital, he has accom- 
plished wonders in the way of doing something substantial for the community as 
well as himself. F"rom the beginning he devoted considerable space in his paper 
to the discussion of dairy and farm matters. Himself an expert in the business of 
making butter and cheese, his articles attracted and held attention from the good 
sense and practical knowledge which they displayed. 

It is true that at first the fruits of his efforts seemed to be insignificant, certainly 
unsatisfactory, but he continued unswervingly in the course originally marked out, 
and finally began to rally the local farmers around him. Almost entirely through 
iiis efforts the Jefferson County Dairymen's Association was organized in 1871, fol- 
lowed by the Wisconsin State Dairymen's Association, of which he was also the 
real founder and for three years secretary, and then the Northwestern Dairymen's 
Association, of which he has been chosen president without opposition, since 1878. 
The value of this State Association, in particular, to the farmers of Wisconsin can 
hardly be computed. It found them turning out but a limited amount of dairy 
products, and those with a decided reputation for inferiority. In the course of a 
few years it saw the value of production increase from about $1,000,000 in 1872 to 
an estimated gross value of $28,000,000 in 1891. The writing of the Wisconsin dairy 
history is virtually writing that of the Wisconsin Dairymen's Association, and the 
name of W. D. Hoard is bound inseparably to both. It is certainly true that 
"peace hath her victories no less renowned than war." In this view Mr. Hoard is 
conspicuously entitled to the laurels of the victor, for himself, his Jefferson County 
Union and Hoard's Dairyman were prime factors in this great progress, which means 
wealth, increased profits, better education and more comforts in life to every maker 
of butter and cheese in the State. After a time the demand for the dairy depart- 
ment of his paper became such that he was compelled to issue special editions, and 
fmally, in March, 1885, to establish Hoard's Dairyman, a weekly dairy paper, on a 
separate basis, which has grown into a sixteen-page, four-column quarto, with the 
largest paid subscription list of any dairy paper in the world. His worth and work 
are known to dairy experts in Europe as well as America, where his name is so 
widely and favorably known to all dairymen. 

When the Wisconsin Farmers' Institutes were organized by the State Univer- 
sity, in 1886, for the purpose of holding educational sessions in different portions of 
the State, Mr. Hoard was selected as the leading lecturer on dairy matters. In 
two seasons he delivered more than 300 addresses on this subject, exposing in a 
frank and fearless manner to the slipshod and slovenly farmer the folly of his ways, 
and preaching the doctrines of agricultural regeneration through such improved 
methods as were in pace with modern improvements in other branches of business. 

These addresses, at once simple and homely, were yet so eloquent with incon- 
trovertible facts, common sense and pat illustrations, and so interspersed with 
pathos and humor not equalled by any other speaker in the State, as not only to 
convince but to captivate his audiences everywhere. 

When, therefore, in the spring of 1888, without any knowledge or considera- 
tion on his part, his name was brought forward I)y the Milwaukee Sentinel as tiiat 



BlOGRAPHlCAl, DICTIONARY AND I'URTKAIT C.Al.l.ICRY OK Till-: 



ol a siiilaMc caiulid.il.c lot" ^ loxcnior, il was riH'cixcd not only with laxoi'lnit with 
cntluisiasm, aiul so vviclcsprcad and powcrlnl did this t-nthusiasm l)rconu' that, 
though rtMnainiiijjf quietly at lionie and " i)ui"snin>; ihr rwn lenor of his wa\-." the 
l\t'])ul)lioaii masses soui^ht him ou\ and made him thinr nominee for Cioveniof. 

In tlie campai<j[n which followed he was in demand as a speaker, and throu^ii 
his addresses itenu)nstratetl that the country editor and dairy specialist was a close 
studiMit anil logical thinker in lines ol political and philosophical inciuiry. He was 
elected hy 175,696 votes, as ay:ainst 155,42,^ xotes for James Morijan. 

In his mental orLjani/atioii Mr. Hoard is essentially a philosoi)her, as is known 
to all who have listened to his puhlic addresses or have enjoyed a personal ac- 
quaintance with him. lie ne\(,'r appc.ds to ])assion nor seeksfavor by pandering to 
t'phenu'ial whims. 1 1 is iundamental jtrinciples sti'on^ly characterize his message 
delivered to the Legislatun- JaiUKux 10, iSSo. llis opening words show his lo\alt\- 
to his country and solicitude for tin- wcll.ire of all his fellow-men. He said: "It 
becomes my pleasing duty to report excellent progress in all material affairs of our 
commonwealth, as well as an encouraging growth in good citizenshi|>. * * * * 
Nothing conduces more to such a desirable state of affairs than the enactment and 
enforcement of just and wholesome laws. It is well to remember that all the law 
wi' ha\ e is enloi^ced law ." 

riunigh the weltare and prosperit\ ol the cc)mmon people, and particular!)- the 
farmer interest, were continuously in his mind, he carefully avoided advocating leg- 
islation on an\' question which spr.ing from prejudice, but simply demanded justice 
and equity. In his message alnne rcierred to, he said, in reierring to the agricul- 
tural and dairy interests: " In connection with this subject I desire to call j'our 
attention to the necessity for more practical legislation against the manufacture and 
sale of fraudulent imitatit)ns of butter and cheese, and sale of adulterated milk. 
The sale of imitatiiin butter and cheese visits serious injury upon both consumer 
aiul producer. Upon the consumer because he is not made acquainted with the 
fraudulent character of the compouiul. IK- buys and eats what hesupposesis pure 
butter and cheese, when the iontrar\ is true to a large extent. * ♦ * The pro- 
ducer is injureil greatly in that his market is destroyed, and that largely through 
frauil. * * * i[ would seem, then, to be nothing more than common jusliiH' that 
the .State should i>rotect the producer from compc^tition based on a cheat." 

l"he greatest interest of Mr. llo.ird is centein-d, howtwer, in that bulwark ot 
y\merican fi'cedom, loyalty and intelligence theimblic school system. In his uu's- 
sage he sa\s: 

" Tlu- ri'port deals with the most vital questions, affecting not only the present 
but the future- welfare o( the individual and the State -and this whether regard be 
hail to questions of linance or questions of good citizenship. * ♦ * 1 confess to 
much solicitude for the common school, and especially tor the district school in 
rural communities. It is to the little country schools that we must look, in a great 
measure, for the inculcatioit'of the princijiles of American citizenship. It is here 
that the griMt bod\- oi" our people acquire all the education they will receive during 
their lives. 1 have a profound respect for the high school, the academy, the col- 
lege and the uni\ersit\'. These, however, iwv but the fruit of a lowlier blossom, and 



KKI'KKSKNIAIIVE MKN (JK IIIK UNITKIJ SIAIKS; WlSCl^NSIN VOl.lJMK. I 21 

they have many and most earnest advocates. It is unnecessary that I should press 
their claim upon you But the common scliool, the ' people's collejre,' js so much 
everybody's business that in many respects it suffers nej^lect. The child, who is the 
citizen that is to be, has a ri^^ht to demand of the State that it he provided as 
against all contingencies, with a reasonable amount of instruction in common 
I'^nglish branches. Especially has he the right to demand that he be provided with 
the ability to read and write the language of this ccnintry. In this connection I 
would recommend such legislation as would make it the duty of county and city 
superintendents to inspect all schools, for the purpose and with the authority only 
to require that reading and writing in English be daily taught." 

Again, in referring to railroads, the Governor showed his conservatism and 
love for fair play as follows: " It has been quite too common in recent years to rep- 
resent the agricultural element in our population as entertaining hostile and agra- 
rian sentiments towards railroads and other corporations, and demagogues have 
sought to commend themselves to this element by advocating legislation of a most 
radical and destructive character. That they have hitherto failed in Wisconsin is 
due to the well-informed conservatism of the farmers. I feel myself authorized to 
say in their behalf that they have no sympathy, as I have none, with any effort at 
legislation on any question which springs from prejudice." These extracts best 
illustrate the valuable qualities which governed the political career of Mr. Hoard. 

In i88g arose the famous "Bennett Law," or school controversy. The Legis- 
lature of that year enacted a compulsory school law, which had for its centra! pur- 
pose the requirement that every parent or guardian in the .State should each year, 
sometime, somewhere and somehow, give to the children under his care fjetween 
the ages of seven and fourteen, at least sixty days' instruction in English, the lan- 
guage of their own country. This law was induced by the startling fact, as devel- 
oped by the sworn testimony of the school district clerks, that there were nearly fifty 
thousand children in the State between seven and fourteen who did not attend any 
school whatever during the previous year. The law was passed without a single 
vote being reported against it in the Legislature. Immediately after its passage the 
German Lutheran and Catholic clergy, who represented the parochial schools, in 
many of which no English had ever been taught, commenced a vigorous and hostile 
agitation against the law. The Democratic party united with these elements and 
demanded its repeal. Governor Hoard defended the law in several addresses and 
newspaper articles. The Republican State convention of 1890 unanimously re-nom- 
inated him to the office of Governor, and declared unequivocally in its platform 
against the repeal of the law. Owing to the vigorous assaults by the Democratic 
party against the McKinley tariff legislation of that year, nearly fifty thousand Re- 
publicans did not vote. The Bennett law opposition turned nearly every Lutheran 
and Catholic ecclesiastic into a political agent and brought out the Democratic vote 
more thoroughly than in the |)revious Presidential contest. Under such a press of 
circumstances the Repuljlican State ticket was overwhelmingly defeated, although 
Governor Hoard received nearly 8,000 Democratic votes as endorsement of his 
rf)urse and afiministration. 



122 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND i'OKTKAIT GALLERY OK THE 

On rctiriiii^ from politics he a^ain took up the work of editing his dairy paper, 
Hoard's Dairyman, which has, by his unremitting labor and perfect executive ability, 
as well as his able editorial capacity, been brought to the largest circulation of any 
dairy paper in the world. In connection with his son, A. R. Hoard, he is also 
interested in the management of ten large creameries, which manufacture $300,000 
worth of butter annually. 

Mr. Hoard was married February g, i86o, to Miss Agnes E. Bragg, daughter of 
William Bragg, Esq., of Lake Mills, Wisconsin. They are the parents of three sons, 
Halbert L., Arthur R. and Frank W., who are all very successful business men and 
closely connected with their father in his important business ventures. 

Such is, in brief, the life of one of Wisconsin's most distinguished sons. By so 
strongly advocating the Americanization of the Badger State, he has reared for 
himself a monument which will forever redound to his honor, and, though force of 
circumstances has given it a temporary backset, the seed sown has taken root and 
will grow until the people of Wisconsin will realize the purity of his purpose and 
that earnest devotion to the highest and best interests of the State that has ever 
been exhibited in the private and public life of William Dempster Hoard. 



HON. WILLIAM PITT BARTLETT, 

EAU CLAIRE. 

ABOUT the year 1635 there came from England, John and Richard Bartlett, 
who settled at Newbury, Massachusetts. They came from a family of high 
standing, some of its members occupying at that time seats in the British Parlia- 
ment and some of their ancestors, long before, having shared the same distinction. 
The Bartletts also held other responsible positions in England. They were men of 
learning and wealth. The family took a prominent part in the early days of the 
colonies and did much to elevate society and shape the government of New Eng- 
land, where the descendants of John and Richard Bartlett for three or four genera- 
tions resided. At the opening of the Revolutionary war the family had scattered 
all over the New England States, and without exception were arrayed on the side 
of the colonies. John Bartlett, called "John, the tanner," being of the fourth gen- 
eration from Richard Bartlett, settled at Eliot, Maine. He w^as the father of John 
H. Bartlett, the father of the subject of this biography. He was born at Eliot, 
Maine, January 9, 1789, and at about the age of twenty-five married Phebe Bur- 
bank, of Freeport, Maine. In 1833 he moved to New Portland, Somerset county, 
in that State. Mr. Bartlett was a clothier by occupation, and proceeded to erect at 
his new home a clothing and carding mill, a sawmill, a grist-mill and a clover-mill. 
He devoted most of his time and attention, however, to lumbering interests, and he 
has been succeeded in that branch of business by his sons. 

William Pitt Bartlett was born at Minot, Maine, September 13, 1829, and was 
the eighth of eleven children.— six boys and five girls. In his boyhood days the 
northern part of Maine was sparsely settled, and presented few educational advan- 



REPRKSKNTATIVE MKN OK THE UNITKD STATES", WISCONSIN VOLUME. 1 23 

tatjes. His opportunities in that direction were limited to the winter months in 
the district school, but beinir ot a studious turn of mind he improved his spare 
hours while out of school in study, and at fifteen years of age obtained a certificate 
and began teaching. With the means he earned at teaching he paid his way 
through the academies at Farmington and Bloomfield, and at the age of twenty 
entered Waterville College, from which he graduated, after a four years' course, in 
1853. In the fall of that year he was elected principal of the Hallowell Academy, 
one of the oldest and best institutions of its kind in the State of Maine, and oc- 
cupied that position until he resigned in 1S55. In the meantime he had studied 
law, having determined to devote his future life to labors in that profession. He 
was a studious youth, and constant study had weakened a not very powerful 
physique; and on this account it was deemed advisable to remove to a section 
where climatic influences would be less conducive to pulmonary diseases. He 
therefore came West, and in 1855 arrived in Wisconsin, locating at Watertown, 
where he remained nearly two years. There he taught school for six months 
while continuing his study of the law, and in the spring of 1856 was admitted to the 
bar in Jefferson county. In the month of May, in 1857, Mr. Bartlett moved to Eau 
Claire, then a village of a few hundred inhabitants, located in a sparsely settled 
section of the State. When he arrived in this hamlet there was no lawyer in the 
county, and he is properly regarded as the pioneer in his profession. He began to 
practice, and owing to his ability and education, soon made himself a power in the 
community, both as a lawyer and a citizen. 

He is the Nestor of the school board of Eau Claire. Scarcely two weeks had 
elapsed after his arrival there when he was placed on that board, in district number 
two, comprising the east side, and for twenty-nine years he was the most active 
member of that body, havingbeen re-elected every threeyearsduringthat time. In the 
fall of 1857 he was elected District Attorney of Eau Claire county and in 1859, while 
still occupying that office, he was elected to the General Assembly from the district 
composed of Eau Claire, Clark, Pepin, Dunn, Chippewa and Pierce counties. In 
the House he at once took a prominent position and was appointed to the chair- 
manship of the committee on federal relations, at that time (i860) one of the 
most imi)ortant of the House committees. He also served on the committees on 
judiciary and education. In the spring of i860 Mr. Bartlett was appointed Judge 
of Eau Claire county by Governor Alexander Randall and held that office for 
about two years. In the fall of 1861 he was again elected District Attorney for a 
term of two years, and in 1863 was re-elected, making in all three terms of two 
years each that he occupied that position. In the fall of 1872 he was again elected to 
the Legislature from Eau Claire county, which then had become a district by itself. 
He served on the committees on federal relations, education and judiciary, the 
same committeeships he held during the former term, but he was appointed chair- 
man of the first two committees. In 1874 he was appointed Registrar of the United 
States Land Ofifice at Eau Claire, for a term of four years, by President Grant. 
He was reappointed in 1878 })y President IL'iyes, but resigned shortly thereafter, 
having served five years in tiiat imitortant position witii cretlit to himself and to 
the satisfaction of the ix-opjc. 



124 BiOGKAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THK 

A vacancy having occurred in the Board of Regents of the State University in 
the spring of 1884, Governor Rusk appointed Judge Bartlett to that honorable 
body. He was reappointed for three years by Governor Rusk at the expiration of 
his term and successively appointed by Governors Hoard and Peck for terms of 
three years each. His knowledge of the needs of the university and his expe- 
rience in educational matters have made him a conspicuous member of that honor- 
able body. In i8go he was elected its president, and in 1893 he was re-elected to 
that respected position. He has enthusiastically labored in behalf of the univer- 
sity, and during the time he has been a member of the Board of Regents he has 
witnessed a transformation in that educational institution. He has seen its enroll- 
ment of students increase from 400 to 1,500, and the institution advance to a leading 
position among the universities of the West. 

From the time Mr. Bartlett located in Eau Claire up to the present time he 
has been a conspicuous figure of the local bar. From 1857 to 1872 he practiced by 
himself, but in the latter year he formed a partnership with H. H. Hayden, which, 
under the firm name of Bartlett & Hayden, became one of the strongest law firms 
in northwestern Wisconsin. In 1884 this partnership was dissolved and since then 
Mr. Bartlett has practiced alone. 

Although a good advocate before a jury, stating and arguing his cases with 
clearness and force, there can be no doubt that Judge Bartlett's forte is as counsel 
out of court, and as a trial lawyer without a jury, in chancery cases and in cases on 
appeal. As a counsel he is painstaking and conservative, and his judgment on 
what is the best thing to be done in the matters submitted to him can be safely de- 
pended upon. He has an intuitive perception and love of justice, and he has as a 
consequence an instinctive appreciation of what courts can be persuaded to hold as 
law. Judge Bartlett has devoted almost all of his efforts in the direction of his pro- 
fession and toward the advancement of the cause of education, and only of late 
years has he given any time or attention to matters of a business nature. He has 
made some financial investments in Oregon, and is vice-president of the Grande 
Ronde Lumber Company, of Perry, Oregon. 

Mrs. Bartlett is a daughter of Edward W. Hart, of Baraboo, Wisconsin, 
formerly of Akron, Ohio. She is a woman of fine accomplishments, both of mind 
and manners, and is in full sympathy with her husband in his educational and 
other laudable work. They were married August 15, 1861, and have five children, 
one daughter and four sons. Levilla P., their daughter, and Stanley, their young- 
est son, reside at home. Edward W., the eldest son, a graduate of the Iowa State 
University, is now practicing law at LeGrande, Oregon; Frank H., who was 
graduated at Wisconsin University in 1892, and Sumner P., who was educated at 
the high school and at Ripon College, are both clerks in mercantile establishments 
in the city of Eau Claire and reside with their parents. 

Mr. Bartlett is of Whig antecedents. He aided in organizing the Republican 
party in Wisconsin and has been one of its steady and influential supporters. He 
has always taken a deep interest in city affairs and finds time to attend personally 
to those matters tha't are of the greatest importance but often sadly neglected be- 
cause capable men will not, usually, devote their time to business in which there is 



KKl'RESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. I25 

no i)ay. Educational and city matters are watched over and cared for by him, 
and few public men, if any, in the State have done more than he has to promote 
the welfare and prosperity of our public schools. He has always been a man of 
industrious and excellent moral habits. He has taken the best of care of himself 
— of his person as well as his character — and as a result he has the appearance and 
viofor of a man of forty-five years of aj^e. 

WILLIAM W. CARGILL, 

I,A CROSSE. 

WILLIAM WALLACE CARGILL was born in Setaukett, Long Island, 
December 15, 1844, and is the third of the five children of William D. and 
Edna (Davis) Cargill, the former of Scottish birth and a sea captain by occupation, 
the latter an American who traces her ancestry back to the period of our struggle 
for independence. 

Captain Cargill moved with his family to Wisconsin in 1856, when the subject 
of this sketch was in his twelfth year, and settled at Janesville, and here William 
obtained his education, attending first the Janesville public schools and later Milton 
College, eight miles distant. When nineteen years of age, he entered the army 
and served in the Quartermaster's department at Duval's Blul'f, Arkansas, until the 
close of the Rebellion, when he returned to his home. 

The following year he secured a situation at Conover, Iowa, and a year later 
started in the grain business for himself at Cresco and Lime Springs, Iowa, and 
Austin, Minnesota. This enterprise he conducted for two years, with a marked 
degree of success, when his brother, S. D. Cargill, entered into partnership with 
him and the firm of W. W. Cargill & Brother was formed. Our subject, at that 
time, was living at Albert Lea, Minnesota, but a few years later, in 1875, moved to 
La Crosse, where he has ever since resided. 

The new firm at the start took rank with the prominent grain firms of the 
Northwest, and continued on an exceptionally prosperous career, which has re- 
mained unbroken. In 1891, the magnitude of the business necessitated a different 
arrangement of its affairs, and in consequence thereof it was divided into two 
different branches and incorporated under the names of The Cargill Elevator 
Company, of Minneapolis, at which city Mr. .S. D. Cargill resides, and the W. W. 
Cargill Com|)any, of La Crosse, and these companies are to-day two of the best 
known and most important in the Northwest. They own 175 elevators, located 
at various points throughout the States of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North and 
South Dakota, and also own and operate two flour mills at Hokah and Houston 
Minnesota, respectively. 

The mammoth Superior Terminal Elevator, at Superior, Wisconsin, which has 
a capacity of 2,500,000 bushels, is one of their system, and was built at a cost of 
$.^50,000. They also operate an elevator at Green Bay, whose capacity is 300,000 
l)ushels. The amount of grain handled by The Cargill Elevator Company and the 
W . W. Cargill Comijany approximates 10,000,000 bushels annually. 



126 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 



A busiiu'ss of such vast maLiiiitudc necc'ssaril\- occiii)ies all of Mr. Cargill's time, 
but he has uivested capital in a number of other enterprises, he bein^^ a director 
and vice-president of the La Crosse National Bank, one of the solid financial insti- 
tutions of Wisconsin; likewise of the La Crosse Street Railway Com])any. He is 
also A stockholder in several other corporations. 

Mr. Cartrill is a member of the Masonic order, has traveled considerably 
throLi^hout the country, and keeps thoroughly in touch with the issues of the day. 
Though a strong Republican, he cannot be termed a politician in any sense, for he 
has never held public office, and his interest in politics is solel}' that of a citizen 
anxious for sound government. 

Mr. Cargilll was iniited in marriage in 1869 to Miss Ella T. Stowell, of Ossian, 
Iowa. Of this union have been born four children: William S., Edna C, Emma 
1. and Austin .S. The Cargill residence is one of the handsomest and happiest 
homes in La Crosse, and is located on the corner of Twelfth and Cass streets. 

The family are attendants at the Presbyterian church. 

JOHN COIT SPOONER, 



By F'rank a. Flower. 

JOHN COIT SPOONER comes of stock which from the earliest Colonial times 
has produced soldiers and statesmen. The Spooner patronymic was promi- 
nent in the vicinity of the ancient Roman town of Colchester, England, five cen- 
turies ago; originally it came, it is thought, from Friesland, where it was spelled 
Spuhner, and the family was, of course, an inveterate enemy of the Romans. The 
name is not recorded in Domesday Book, but is found in the College of Heraldry 
as emanating from Warwickshire in the sixteenth century, and also from Worces- 
tershire. 

In 1637 Spooners arrived from England and settled in lOartmouth, Massachu- 
setts, spreading to New Bedford, Plymouth, and elsewhere along the coast. The 
maiden name of the mother of John C. was Coit; she also was descended from the 
earliest New England settlers — a Welsh family noted for brains, independence and 
courage. 

The Spooners were prominent in early Colonial affairs; took part in the French 
and Indian war, and Philip, John C.'s great-grandfather, was, with his brother 
Michael, a minute-man at Lexington, and rose to distinction in the war of the Revo- 
lution. Samuel Coit, the maternal great-grandfather, was also an officer in the 
Revolution, a Colom-l, a man of powerful physique, and a fearless and terrific 
fighter. 

Spooners and Coits swarmed into service during the war of 1812, and several 
were prominent in the Mexican war. But Philip Loring Spooner, father of John 
C, was a man oi added tiualities, though difft-rent in make-up from the general run 




y^y<r^ ^^ 



REI'RKSKNTATIVK MKN OK TllK UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 1 29 

of Spooners -unambitious, except as a lawyer, retiring, an enemy of contention, 
and a promoter of peace. His brother Benjamin, on the other hand, full of the 
military spirit, was a brilliant soldier in the Mexican war, and recruited the first 
regiment that was mustered into service from the State of Indiana for the war of 
the Rebellion, in April, 1861. He was one of the gallant and intrepid soldiers of 
that unparalleled contest; lost an arm at Kenesaw Mountain, and was made United 
States Marshal of the District of Indiana at a time when the duty of ferreting out 
and suppressing the Knights of the Golden Circle and other secret and destructive 
enemies of the country was more trying and perilous than leading the charges of 
actual war. His final commission was the last State paper signed by Lincoln be- 
fore going to I-'ord's theater on the night of the assassination. 

John C. was born January 6, 1843, at Lawrenceburg, Indiana, then the prosper- 
ous home of a choice circle of citizens, politicians, attorneys and business men, 
amongst whom his father, a native of New Bedford, was an honored and res])<;;(ted 
leader. 

The frequency of destructive floods in the Ohio river, ill healtii and the lack of 
educational facilities forced the senior Spooner to seek another home for his young 
family. — three sons and one daughter. He had heard of the great natural beauty 
and healthful climate of Madison, the new capital of Wisconsin, and there, in June, 
.1859, he established his permanent home and entered upon the practice of his pro- 
fession, the law. In all the list of Nature's noblem-en — modest, thoughtful, patri- 
otic, high-minded, generous, pure and true — the character of no man in the North- 
west shone with a more calm and benign effulgence, or exercised a more elevating 
and wholesome influence, than that of Philip L. Spooner. He died in 1887, at the 
age of seventy-seven, known and honored far beyond the usual lot of men who 
neither seek nor accept the favors, the offices or the plaudits of the public; he was 
acknowledged by the courts and the bar as pre-eminently a great jurist, —a man 
of unlimited capacity 

John C. attended, foratime,thecityschoolsof Madison, beingarapidandcompre- 
hensive student. One of his tutors relates that no amount of persuasion or pros- 
pect of fun ever induced him to go nutting or upon a frolic before he had fully 
mastered his lessons; but this mastery could be accomplished in an incredibly short 
space of time. 

He entered the University of Wisconsin in i860, at the age of seventeen, 
having decided to prepare to join his father in the legal profession. His career in 
that institution was brilliant; in the departments of oratory and debate, civil gov- 
ernment, international and constitutional law, history and literature, he was an 
acknowledged leader of his class. 

On April 22, 1864, the (Governors of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Wiscon- 
sin tendered eighty-five thousand troops for one hundred days, to be paid and 
equipped by the (Government the same as other volunteers. l)ut to be charged to no 
draft and to receive no bounties. This Kraxc offer, in;iile in the fare of the f.ict 
that the States had just completed their iiuotas under tiie call forse\en hundri:d 
thousand volunteers, was to be filled in twenty days from acceptance. The offer 
was accepted, and young Spooner, in orde-r to assist in making Wisconsin's tender 



130 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



good within the brief time allotted, secured a recruiting commission, and, borrow- 
ing three hundred dollars from a local banker, Mr. Hill, raised a company. Then, 
although entitled to a commissioned office, he proposed that his entire class enlist 
as privates, himself included, and choose the officers. He demanded, however, that 
the class should be graduated the same as though all had remained to the end of 
the term. 

To this, of course, as a reward for patriotism, the authorities assented, and on 
May 13, 1864, he enlisted as a private in Company D, Fortieth Regiment. This 
regiment was largely composed of professors and students from Wisconsin colleges 
and seminaries — the flower of the State. Soon after the end of the one-hundred- 
day term he re-enlisted for "three years or the war," as Captain of Company A, 
Fiftieth Regiment, and was detailed first to Fort Leavenworth, and then to the 
Northwest to watch for and quell Indian outbreaks — the most disagreeable and try- 
ing service a soldier could be called on to perform. For some months he was 
stationed with his regiment at Fort Rice, Dakota Territory, in the midst of the 
Sioux Indians. He was brevetted Major March 13, 1865, and mustered out June 12, 
1866. 

On returning from the war, Mr. Spooner began studying law with his father, 
and was soon after (January, 1867) appointed private and military secretary to 
Governor Lucius Fairchild, with the rank of Colonel, and a salary of two thousand _ 
dollars, per annum. He was admitted to the bar of Dane county by Circuit Judge 
H. S. Orton in 1868, though still serving as private secretary. 

In 1868 he was appointed Quartermaster General of the State, serving two 
years, with the rank of Brigadier General. In 1869-70 he was Assistant Attorney 
General under Charles R. Gill and Stephen S. Barlow. 

May 30, 1868, was memorable in the city of Madison, and also in the career of 
Mr. Spooner, as marking the first formal Decoration day services in the city, and, 
it is claimed, in the entire State. From sunrise to sunset cannon boomed in the 
capitol park; General J. M. Rusk was marshal of the day; a large number of vet- 
erans from the surrounding country (carrying forty of the tattered colors brought 
back from the war), and a long line of children from the Soldiers' Orphans' Home, 
marched in the big procession. 

The official programme announced an oration by "General" John C. Spooner, 
that being the title of his military office. It was his first appearance as a public 
speaker on an important occasion, and practically the entire city came out to hear 
and see him. The address, though brief, was patriotic and inspiring, and eloquently 
delivered. The newspapers praised it, and accorded the unusual compliment of a 
place in full in their columns. 

If Mr. Spooner had not later achieved so much greater fame, that address of 
1868, when he was but a boy of twenty-five, would be considered, as in fact it is, a 
remarkable effort. The opening sentence was: "In this land of ours, God has 
crowded the glories of a century into the achievements of a decade." 

In the several responsible and honorable positions so swiftly crowded upon him 
Mr. Spooner acquitted "himself with conspicuous energy and ability. But his father, 
one of the seers and prophets of the profession, feared that the peculiar influence 



REI'RESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. I3I 

of public service might draw his son away from the law and into politics, and ad- 
vised him at once to cut loose from office and devote himself exclusively to his 
profession. 

Therefore in 1870, at the age of twenty-seven, he removed to Hudson, Wiscon- 
sin, and entered into partnership with H. C. Baker. There he sprang quickly into 
prominence as a citizen and lawyer, enjoying from the first a large and desirable 
general practice, in wliich for eleven years he argued and tried a great number of 
causes in the courts of many counties of that region and in the Supreme Court. 

To Mr. Spooner the legal business of the West Wisconsin Railway Company 
was intrusted; also that of the North Wisconsin. His energy and decisiveness, 
together with great natural legal ability and aptitude for railroad litigation, very 
soon led to his appointment as general counsel for those roads, which position he 
held until the lines were merged into the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha, 
of which he was elected and continued general counsel until May 5, 1884, on which 
day he resigned because the Vanderbilts, having secured control of the road, 
required him to bring what he told them was an unjust and unfounded suit for 
$1,200,000 against Messrs. Flower, Dows, and Porter, stockholders in the corpora- 
tion, and his clients and friends. 

The new directorate, in session in New York at the time, used every means to 
induce him to remain as general counsel, offering him power to fix his own salary 
and the privilege of remaining out of the case which he was refusing to bring. He 
not onh- would not entertain their propositions, but told the directors that he should 
defend Porter, Dows and Flower. His resignation was, therefore, accepted and 
the suit, in his hands for the defense, was entirely defeated. 

This action was new proof of the high notions Mr. Spooner entertained of pro- 
fessional honor and personal friendship, for he left the "Omaha" with feelings of 
keenest regret. He had helped to create and build up the great corporation; he 
knew its history, workings and employes; he liked that branch of his profession; his 
associates were congenial and he could have had any salary he might have asked. 
Nevertheless, he did not hesitate a moment between these considerations and what 
he considered professional honor and personal friendship. And thus, and not to 
become a candidate for the United States Senate, as has been alleged, he left the 
" Omaha." 

From 1881 to May 5, 1884, Mr. Spoonerdevoted himself almost entirely to the busi- 
ness of tlie railroad company, which by consolidation had come to control about 
eighteen hundred miles of road, extending through Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa 
into Neljraska and Dakota. He had sole charge of all their legal business, which 
was extensive and important. 

An old citizen of Hudson said during Mr. .Sjjooner's campaign for the govern- 
orship: " I never knew a harder student and worker than John was, from 1872 to 
1884. It was a usual thing to see the light burning in his office until way into the 
night. His activity and energy in the preparation and trial of causes were phenom- 
enal antl he was a quick worker then, as he is now. He seemed to have no ambi- 
tion but in the law." 

Immc'diately after settling at Hudson, Mr. .Spooner became connected with a 



132 BIOGKArillCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

case in which he macle a national reputation among raih'oad manai^crs, judges and 
attorneys. It may be found in 21 Wallace as Schulenberg vs. Harriman. Cjcneral 
Harriman, as State timber agent, had seized Schulenburg's logs, cut on lands granted 
by Congress in trust to Wisconsin for what is now the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneap- 
olis & Omaha Railway. The entire line of road was nol l)uilt within tiie limit of 
time fixed by the grant, and Schulenbcrg's attorneys claimed that the grant had 
therefore been forfeited and that neither the land nor the logs cut therefrom be- 
longed to or were under the control of the State. 

Mr. Spooner contended in the United States Circuit Court before Justice Miller 
and Judge Dillon, that the failure of the grantee to construct the road within the 
time fixed by the grant could have no effect on the grant itself, but that forfeiture 
or reversion could only work through judicial proceedings held for that purpose or 
by means of an act of Congress forfeiting it in exact terms, or making other appro- 
priation of it. 

The lower courts held with Mr. Spooner. The case, however, was appealed to 
the United States Supreme Court where he participated in the oral argument and 
hied a brief, and where. Justice Field delivering the unanimous decision of the 
bench, the judgment of the circuit judges was fully sustained, thus establishing for 
the first time in this country the principle or theory that the failure of any railway 
corporation to comply with the conditions subsequent of a land grant which it may 
be attempting to earn, does not operate as a reversion or forfeiture of the grant; 
but that such forfeiture can come only through a specific act of the authority first 
making the concession, viz.. Congress. 

To the great empire of the Northwest this suit was most important in its 
results. But few land grant railways were or could be completed within the periods 
named in the grants. What are now trunk lines had been partially built, but were 
dead or in doubt or uncertainty and their promoters discouraged and frequently 
bankrupt because the generally-accepted theory and the rule of the departments 
then was, that a line not completed within the time named in the act making the 
grant had forfeited the grant itself, — or at least the unpatented portion of it. 

This decision therefore put new life and progress into the great Northwest. 
Projected lines were resumed and completed; magnificent new territory was opened 
to settlement and industrial development; new cities and towns sprang into life and 
activity in short the wilderness was made to blossom as the rose; civilization was 
carried forward in giant strides and the entire nation was strengthened and 
enriched. 

He was not thirty 3'ears of age when he made the defense in this famous cause; 
and the victory was all the greater because shortly before, Attorney General Will- 
iams had written an official opinion holding that non-performance of the terms of 
a land grant operated as a reversion of the grant, and the departments and the 
railroads were acting on that theory. He was employed by Governor Washburn to 
ai)pear before the Supreme Court in the cause to receive one thousand dollars 
if he won, but if he failed, nothing, — so little failli had leading attorneys and 
officials in the success of his theory. 

In the fall of 1S71, after ha\ing resided at Hudson only a little more than a 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 1 33 



year, Mr. Spooner was nominated for the Legislature and, of course, elected, taking 
his seat the following January. He asked to be placed on two committees only — 
Education and Railroatls. He took a very prominent part in legislation, especially 
in passing laws to straighten out muddles in taxation, court records, and land titles. 
But his most conspicuous service was in behalf of the State University, drafting, 
presenting and urging to final passage a bill to levy a general State tax to be added 
annually forever to the university fund income. This established the precedent, 
since followed, of a direct tax in support of the university, and was the foundation 
and beginning of the splendid career of prosperity, growth and strength of that 
great institution, following upon a period of weakness and inanition. 

As a partial recognition of this everlasting service Mr. Spooner was made al 
regent of the university in 1882, serving until February, 1884, enthusiastically and' 
effectively. In this connection it is proper to record also that in 1869 the degrees 
of Ph. D. and A. M.. and In 1894 the degree of LL. D., were conferred upon him b}' 
his aluia mater. 

This single term in the Legislature ended Mr. Spooner's connection with i)<)li- 
tics except to take the stump when called upon (which generally was in every 
campaign), and to attend conventions when any of his friends were candidates for 
office, — until his election to the Senate in January, 1885. He devoted himself with 
ceaseless intensity to his profession, carrying on a very large general practice in 
addition to his labors as general counsel for the railway company, winning many 
important victories, and accumulating a comfortable competence and building an 
ample and attractive home. 

The Blaine-Cleveland contest, following his resignation from all connection 
with the "Omaha," is memorable as one of heat and ability. Mr. Spooner, opening 
the campaign in Milwaukee, canvassed the entire State, adding many laurels to his 
already well-established reputation for brilliant and effective oratory. His speech 
at the Logan reception, in Madison, was particularly admired, and made of the 
great Illinois soldier a warm and substantial friend. His tour was a perpetual 
ovation, but the speech of all speeches, and the ovation of all ovations, was in the 
Robbins circus tent at Janesville, making of the old, wealthy and populous counties 
of Rock and Walworth the most devoted and aggressive friends and followers and 
the corner-stone of his future political successes. 

But in November Blaine was defeated, and the Republican party generally was 
thrown into more or less discouragement. A Republican majority in the Wisconsin 
Legislature had been elected, however, and a successor to Angus Cameron in the 
Ihiited States Senate was to be chosen. There had been several distinguished can- 
didates before the people; among them WiUiam T. Price and General Lucius Fair- 
child. They were men of high standing and conspicuous services, but they were old 
in the public eye, and their candidacy, it was alleged, could arouse no new element 
of strength. The more progressive members felt that the waning fortunes of the 
party demanded a return to the aggressive methods and militant spirit of 1854, with 
younger, fresher leaders, who must also be men of the highest character and 
ability. 

it was urged that John C. Sjjooncr admirably met the ref|uired qnalifu ations. 



134 lUOGRArmCAl. dictionary and rORlRAIT GAI.I.KRY OK THE 

After coiisiiU'raMr consultation, hnishiii^' a\va\' his own oiijrctions that lu' was "too 
xouni;' foi' a ',L;ra\t' ami rrxorcnd senatoi\" lu- conscnti-il to \n- a laiuliilatt.'. 
I luMi, lu'lorc any pnlilir announccnuMiI luul been made, a coniplrtr plan ol tani- 
paii^n was pcrlortrd 1)\ his trioiuis. l-roin all co-workers he exacted a promise 
that there shouUl be no unkind or disrespectful word in speech or newspaper article 
uttered against lieneral bairchild or the other candidates. The claim put forth was 
merely that the ablest and bravest of the younuer veneration must unite in an 
heroic effort, or the Republican party would lose power that could not be ri'<iained 
perhaps for generations, anil that their choice w^as John C Spooner. 

NeW'Spapers throughout the State ileclared enthusiastically for him on the 
jiround that the State should be represented in the senate by an aggressive, able, 
eloquent and resourceful debater wln> cmild cn\n- with the Democratic leaders and 
successfulh' defend on the floor ot the srnatt.' the principles of the Republican 
party. 

The man and the argument so well titted the occasion and took so well with the 
people, that the favorintj tide set in full and strong, and, especially after the defeat 
of Blaine in November, continued to increase in force until January j8, 1S85, when 
Mr. Spooner was elected, receiving seventy-six Republican votes to forty-eight 
Democratic votes for Cien. E. S. Bragg. He had forty-nine votes on first ballot in 
the Republican caucus, which insured his election. His speech, on being brought 
before the caucus, was more than anything else a tribute to the worth and services 
of his opponents, and especially of General I'airchild, ami m.nle the support of those 
opponents there. liter he,irt\' .mil iM\ictic,dl\' un.uiinious. In closing lu- ileclari'd: 
"If electetl, 1 sh.dl de\ote all the strength autl \igor which C'lod h.is given me to 
the people of Wisconsin and our common country. And thus he was chosen, 
although he had s]ient Init eighteen hours with the Legislature in Madison during 
the Senatorial campaign, to make an aiUlressi)f thanks to the caucus for the nomin- 
ation, and personally to greet the members, many of wdiom he there met ior the 
first time. His election left absolutely no sores in his party. 

The Senate, of which he now became a member, was one not only of ability, but 
appreciative of ability. His reputation as an orator and juri.st of wide attainments 
had preceded him, and the older Senators were prepared at once to acct^rd to him 
the place usually atlaineil, if e\ er, only after several years of hart! work and honor- 
abU- service 

He was placed upon the committees on Privileges and b'lections. District ot 
Columbia, Public Buildings and lirounds. Epidemic Diseases, and on Claims. C^l 
the last, with its vast labors and responsibilities and investigations, extending 
baik through the war of the Rebellion, the Mexican and Florida wars, the war 
of iSiJ, and the Revolution, to the foundation of the Ciovernment, he was made 
chairman; and in that position, it is said, by indefatigable labors, he saved the Gov- 
ernment more than thirty million dollars. 

Mr. Spooner's first speech in the Senate was on the death of \ ice-President 
Hendricks, a life-long friend of his father's. It was both in style and matter an in- 
novation a beautiful tribute to the dead hulianian's personal qualities, tielivered 
with a tenderni'ss seldom heard in the Senate chamlu-r. C(.>mbined with .1 boKl anal- 



KKI'KKSKNI Al IVK MKN OF lllE UNIlKn STAIKS; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 1 35 

ysis of political beliefs made without a tin^e of bias or partisanship. The speech 
commanded the widest attention, and was quite generally rejjublished, establishing 
in new places, and especially in the Senate, the speaker's reputation for audacity 
and originality of conception, for versatility of oratory, and for clearness, incisive- 
ness, and elegance of diction. 

Among his really great speeches in respect of judicial learning, was one in 
defense of the Senate on the " Relations between the Senate and the Executive 
Departments," brought out by the Attorney General's refusal to comply with a 
request to send public papers and documents from his office. It was from the stand- 
point of a lawyer, covering the entire subject from the foundation of the Govern- 
ment and made an indelible impression. Another, on the provisions of the inter- 
State commerce bill generally but particularly favoring a clause to enable railways 
to make rates on gootls for export in conjunction with ocean steamship lines inde- 
pendent of domestic rates, attracted the attention and favor everywhere of rail- 
ways, shippers and manufacturers. His complete mastery of railway laws and rail- 
way business by actual experience made his views almost an authority in the senate 
and aided materially in eliminating crudities and impracticabilities from legislation 
affecting transportation. 

A speech delivered on April i6, 1888, on the admission of South Dakota, gave 
to Mr. Spooner greater satisfaction than any other effort of his career in the senate. 
He had as a soldier been stationed in and marched over Dakota Territory when its 
only inhabitants north of Yankton were buffaloes and Indians. Many early friends 
and clients had settled on those vast prairies, and he had with absorbing interest 
watched the laVjor of developing that rich section into a powerful, energetic and 
intelligent communit}'. His heart was in the address, and he pleaded with singular 
power antl eloquence for the admission of the bright and growing young State. 

It was during this debate that Senator Butler objected to Dakota "trying to 
break into the Union," whereupon Mr. Spooner quickly retorted that Dakota cer- 
tainly had as much inherent right to try to break in as South Carolina (Butler's 
State) had to try to "break out" of the Union. That settled interruptions from 
that quarter. 

The only time in the Senate Mr. Spooner felt called upon to make what might 
be termed a political address, was after Joseph Hoffman had been shot and killed 
at Brenham, for testifying before the .Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections 
during the investigation into the ijolitical outrages in Washington county, Texas. 
.\\ hile temperate in form and free from mere denunciation, it was nevertheless a 
terrible arraignment of those who were responsible for, as well as those who on the 
floor of the .Senate justified and defended that frightful crime, and created a great 
sensation. It made a lasting impression and so revealed Mr. Spooner to the Sena- 
tors from the South that he was never again stirred up on that question. 

One of his most elaborate and carefully prepared addresses was delivered 
against the Blair educational bill, — a measure he voted for on first entering the Sen- 
ate, but which, on fuller investigation, he was compelled to oppose. Other speeches 
had been upon legal, constitutional or national questions, but this dealt purely with 
social economy, domestic statecraft, and required a careful and comprehensive 



1 36 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND TORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

understanding of the financial, educational and moral conditions in every State of the 
Union, as well as a dispassionate analysis and presentation of them. The bill, which 
proposed to raise about eighty million dollars, mostly in the N orth, and expend it 
mostly in the South for educational purposes during a period of eight years, had 
been before Congress several years, and would probably have become a law if it 
had not been for the speech in question. His picture of the post-Rebellion develop- 
ment and progress of the Southern States was the most comprehensive and appre- 
ciative ever heard in the chamber, and his conception of the evils that might grow 
out of such extreme paternalism carried conviction to a majority of the Senate. 

On September 8, 1890, Mr. Spooner spoke in favor of placing sugar on the free 
list because it was a necessity of life down to the poorest cabin, and because the 
domestic product was less than one-eighth of the amount consumed. He also 
favored, by a speech full of patriotism, legal argument and eloquence, reciprocity 
as to articles wanted but not made or produced in the United States, when made or 
produced and for sale in another country, and vice versa, and also advocated a 
tariff on iron, tin, wool and lumber. 

When the reciprocity clauses of the McKinley bill, which he had thus advo- 
cated, were sustained by the Supreme Court of the United States, the New York 
Tribune said that the counsel for the Government added nothing in argument, law 
or illustration to what Mr. Spooner brought forward in his advocacy of the measure 
in the Senate. 

A brief speech that sent a thrill through the North was delivered by Mr. 
Spooner on January 28, 1890, on what was technically known as the Fanz case. 
Secretary of War, Redfield Proctor, had not ordered the flag lowered to half-mast 
on the death of Jefferson Davis, who served as Secretary of War before the Re- 
bellion, and the "best citizens" of Aberdeen, Mississippi, hanged him in a w^retched 
effigy, across which was this placard: "Red. Proctor, Traitor." 

J. E. Fanz, a native of Indiana and a mechanic, aged only twenty-one, while 
assisting to raise the efifigy, accidentally dropped the rope. For this he was brutally 
and terribly beaten, receiving about 200 lashes, and a resolution was presented in 
the Senate for an investigation into the matter. Mr. Spooner's speech on that 
resolution was widely published, creating a sensation North as well as South. 

To the masses of his party and to all fair-minded men, one of his last was one 
of his greatest efforts in the Senate, in the same general direction, — the formal 
speech on the Federal Elections bill, made December 20, 1890, in which, by a really 
marvelous digest of the political crimes committed in the South since the Rebellion, 
he found substantial reasons for enacting what was falsely called the "force bill," 
proving that "wrongs do not leave off where they begin, but still beget new mis- 
chiefs in their course." During the first hour of its delivery there were numerous 
interruptions by Democrats from the South for the purpose of breaking the force 
of the speech, but the fire they drew was so disastrous and increased so steadily in 
destructiveness as the speaker got deeper into his subject, that the entire skirmish 
line was hastily withdrawn, leaving Mr. Spooner (almost unprecedented in a 
debate of this character) in undisturbed possession of the floor, before a great 
audience in the galleries and a full Senate, who listened to one of the most 



RKrKK.SENTATl\K MKN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. I T,J 

profound orations ever delivered in that chamber on that or a kindred subject. 

Mr. Spooner made many other addresses and runniuf^^-debate speeches in the 
.Senate, on Irrigation, the Effect of Free Trade upon the Industries of Great 
Britain, Mortgage Indebtedness, Admission of the Montana Senators (successfully 
leading the fight in their behalf), District of Columbia affairs, the eight-hour law 
(favoring it), the Columbian Exposition, etc., etc., — taking rank for clearness, force, 
fearlessness, fairness and effectiveness second to none. He never read a speech in 
the Senate; all were extemporaneous. 

Personally Mr. Spooner was very popular in the Senate, both sides of the cham- 
ber contributing equally to cordial associations and sincere friendships. 

When he retired from that body, the members of the Committee on Claims 
tendered to him one of the finest banquets ever given in Washington, attended by 
the President and members of his cabinet, the Vice-President and many other dis- 
tinguished persons. The speeches in honor of the guest, especially those by Messrs. 
Evarts, Hoar and Hale, and the leading Democrats, were of the most compliment- 
ary character, lauding him as a .Senator, lawyer, and man of great ability, fairness 
and integrity. It was a demonstration of honor, friendship and respect accorded 
under similar circumstances to no other Senator. 

He nominated General Rusk at Chicago in 1888; seconded the nomination of 
Harrison at Minneapolis, and was urgently requested by the President in person to 
take charge of the national campaign of t8q2, but declined. 

Returning to Wisconsin at the end of his term in the .Senate, he soon after 
moved from Hudson back to Madison, in order to be near his younger sons while 
they passed through the Wisconsin University, and, forming the partnership of 
Spooner, Sanborn & Kerr, resumed at once the practice of his profession, important 
cases rolling in as though there had been no interregnum. 

Burdened as he was by work, he still found or made time to serve the interests 
of his party and the people. In this direction in what are known as the gerryman- 
der cases his labor and genius added materially to the cause of public justice and 
gained great advantages for his party, besides recording a new and important chap- 
ter in the history of jurisprudence. 

The Wisconsin Legislature of 1890, being Democratic, apportioned the State 
into new Senate and Assembly districts. By the Republicans it was alleged that 
this apportionment was unequal and unjust as well as void, in that it did not follow 
the unit of population fixed as the basis on which it was made. 

Suits to have the act of apportionment set aside were begun. The form of the 
suit was decided, the papers in the first case were drawn, and the great argument 
as to jurisdiction was made by Mr. .Spooner, as was also the argument on the con- 
stitutionality of the act. The suits involved an entirely new proposition, to enter- 
tain which was held by some to be a dangerous invasion by the courts of the rights 
and prerogatives of the Legislature, a co-ordinate branch of government. 

However, the Supreme Court unanimously assumed original jurisdiction on the 
relation of a citizen, heard the case on its merits, and held the act unconstitutional 
and invalid on the grounds set forth by Mr. Spooner. The learned justices re- 
garded the cause as the most important that had occupied their attention, and three 



138 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

of them filed separate opinions, as if to so magnify and pile up the judt^ment of the 
court as to forever prevent the making of another gerrymander, which they held to 
be "an invasion of the rights and liberties of the people." 

The apportionment having been set aside, Governor Peck called a special 
session of the Legislature to enact another, which was supposed to have been 
accomplished in July, 1892. But as this second ac had been made in disregard and 
defiance of the unanimous opinion of the Supreme Court, a new suit was brought 
(C. F. Lamb, relator) asking the court to grant a writ enjoining forever the Secre- 
tary of State from issuing under it the notices of election. In this case the Attor- 
ney General (O'Connor) refused to appear or to give his consent to the suit. The 
court gave him twenty days in which to appear. At the end of that time, the At- 
torney General still refusing to take part or give his ofificial assent, the court again 
assumed jurisdiction for the purpose of hearing the case on its merits. The ques- 
tions were, whether the relator, Lamb, had a right to bring the suit, the Attorney 
General having refused to assent thereto, and whether the law in question was un- 
constitutional. 

On these two vital points Mr. Spooner made a great argument, closing the case 
for the relators, although in the midst of an exciting campaign. 

Again the court adopted his view and held that it had original jurisdiction, and 
again set aside the act of apportionment as unconstitutional and void, forcing Gov- 
ernor Peck to call a second special session of the Legislature to divide the State 
for the third time into Senate and Assembly districts. In one case General E. S. 
Bragg, and in the other Senator W. F. Vilas, were opposing counsel. 

Undoubtedly the greatest specific service any Wisconsin Republican ever ren- 
dered to his party was that in these gerrymander contests; but they were hardly 
cleared from the board before new sacrifices came on. In 1888 W. D. Hoard was 
elected Governor. During his incumbency he brought into politics a new issue 
that alienated a great number of Republican voters, so that when he came before 
the people in 1890 for re-election he was defeated by about 30,000, whereas he had 
been chosen two years before by a majority of 20,273. In his defeat he carried the 
Legislature down with him, and a Democrat, William F. Vilas, was elected to suc- 
ceed Mr. Spooner in the United States Senate, in January, 1891. • 

This was the first time since the formation of the Republican party that a 
Democrat had represented the State in the United States Senate, and the Republi 
can leaders were disheartened. When, therefore, it again came time to present a 
candidate for Governor, although all the delegates chosen to the convention were 
pledged to other candidates, it was decided that Mr. Spooner could poll more votes 
than any other man in the party, and that he must run. He protested that the 
office was not one to his liking; that as a matter of choice he would not accept if 
the position could be tendered to him without an election, and he hoped the nomi- 
nation would be given to one of the several gentlemen who really wanted and were 
seeking it. Objections and protests were alike unheeded and he was unanimously 
nominated, no other votes being cast in the convention. Being thus commanded 
by the party which had honored him, he was forced to accept. 

Knowing the improbability of overturning a majority of thirty thousand at a single 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 1 39 



election, he nevertheless entered into the unequal contest with viiror, and carried 
on the most brilliant and masterly campai<i^n in the history of the State. Knthusiastic 
crowds docked to hear him everywhere. He traveled literally night and day by 
railway, stage and private conveyance; delivered frequently two speeches a day — 
one in the afternoon at one place, and another elsewhere in the evening. 

He was, as he expected to be, defeated, but he ran ahead of the party ticket 
and brought Gov. Peck's majority of thirty thousand in 1890 down to a plurality of 
seven thousand seven hundred in 1892. The campaign, however, was such a serious 
strain upon him that for more than a year he did not recover from its effects. 

So far as oratory is concerned, he has never accomplished anything more brill- 
iant and effective than scores of the speeches of this contest. At Hurley, in the 
heart of the great Bessemer iron district, where thousands of miners were his listen- 
ers, he declared that within a year, if the Democratic party should elect its candi- 
dates and carry out the tariff pledges of its platform, the mines would be closed and 
the men before him walking the streets in idleness and calling upon the public for 
food and clothing for themselves and their children. 

His prophecy was fulfilled with terrifyingexactitudt>, Cjovernor Peck of Wisconsin 
and Governor Rich of Michigan being obliged for months in the winter of 1893-4 to 
send food, clothing and money to keep starvation from the doors of thousands of 
miners formerly employed in the prosperous (iogebic ore pits, now closed and idle. 

It was a startling prophecy, startlingly fulfilled, and one which, with its author, 
will never be forgotten in the Lake Superior iron districts. 

In addition to the matters more specifically referred to he has made numerous 
speeches and addresses and taken part on the stump in every campaign of his party 
for a quarter of a century, frequently lending his services also to other States. He 
made the oration dedicating the Wisconsin monument at Gettysburg, and also that 
dedicating the soldiers' monument at .Sheboygan, besides Decoration day addresses 
at Eau Claire, Menomonie, and elsewhere, as well as the first and last at Madison 
— 1868 and 1894; memorial addresses on Messrs. Hendricks, Rankin, Price and 
Logan and many tributes of respect to deceased members of the bar. He formally 
opened the Republican campaign of 1894 by a speech covering the entire range of 
topics, national and .State, at one of the largest meetings ever held in Milwaukee, 
and followed it with speeches elsewhere in the State, being received with greater 
enthusiasm and approbation than ever, thus proving the tenacity of his hold upon 
the people. 

It has always been the fact that in the numberless speeches, debates and ad- 
dresses of an intensely busy career of twenty-five j'ears, no matter what the provo- 
cation, he never made reckless or unfounded charges or insinuations, or descended 
to personal attacks or retorts intended to wound the heart or carry sorrow to the 
home of any opponent. It cannot be said of him that he has ever sought to build 
himself up by pulling any other man down. 

Besides great capacity for analysis, reason and logic; incisive clearness and 
strength of statement; wonderful versatility of diction; resources and courage, gen- 
uine earnestness of manner (making every cause his own) and impulsive tenderness 
of sentiment, all combining into an irresistil)le power to convince, there is, as there 



!^0 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

has been for generations in the family, a toucli of the tragic and heroic in Mr. 
Spooner's make-up. It was plainly noticeable in his school and college days; in the 
manner of his enlistment; in the speech at the death of Mr. Hendricks; in his con- 
duct while the Federal Elections bill and Texas outrages investigation were pend- 
ing; in the gerrymander suits — in fact, in everywhere adopting or defending what 
he believed to be the right and for the interests of the people regardless of political 
or personal consequences. 

This family trait of mingled patriotism and heroism, as conspicuous in John C. 
as in any of the Spooners, was fairly illustrated by General Ben. Spooner of Indiana, 
who, though dying fifteen years after the Rebellion, in the intensity of his devotion 
to his country requested to be buried in a shroud of the stars and stripes. Also by 
Lysander Spooner of Massachusetts, who, believing the Government had no con- 
stitutional right to monopolize mail-carrying on the basis then in vogue (charging 
12 1-2 cents for a letter from Boston to New York and 25 cents to Washington), 
inaugurated private post-routes which transported mail from Boston to New York 
and elsewhere at the uniform charge of five cents, and made money. 

The federal authorities attacked him and his agents, arresting and jailing them 
everywhere possible; but he, nevertheless, continued until there was a public senti- 
ment which compelled Congress to make a substantial reduction in the rates of 
postage and to adopt a uniform charge without regard to distance — a gallant but 
unsupported fight, whose endless benefits can neither be stated nor fully realized — 
a real Spoonerism and just what John C. did in the gerrymander cases and other 
matters. 

Another family trait, quite conspicuous in his father, is utter obliviousness to 
personal fame or glory, Both always declined to give facts necessary for biograph- 
ical or personal matter for publication, and John. C, refusing to furnish informa- 
tion for this sketch, forced its preparation without his aid or suggestion. 

On September 10, 1868, Mr. Spooner was married to Miss Annie E. Main, of 
Madison, a woman of great musical talent and fine education. They have had four 
sons. John C. died in 1881, aged six. The living are Charles Philip, aged twenty- 
six, a graduate of Princeton and of the law school of the University of Wisconsin, 
and a member of his father's firm; Willet Main, aged twenty-two, a graduate of the 
University of Wisconsin, and a member now of its law school; and Philip L., aged 
fifteen, a boy of remarkable talents. 

In his profession, an indefatigable worker; in habits, modest and absolutely 
temperate and clean; in politics, brave and liberal; in statesmanship, capable, patri- 
otic, fearless and prophetic; to the public and to adversaries, courteous, dignified, 
kindly and respectful; in personal intercourse, frank and attractive and to poor 
clients not only generous but a guardian without money and without price, he is 
well entitled to all the honors that have been showered upon him. 

But it is not easy to do justice to Mr. Spooner's attributes in a few brief sen- 
tences. While his lofty conception of the ethics and honor of his profession and 
his uniform consider^ation and courtesy in debate, court arguments, and public 
speaking have made him an acknowledged model, after all only those who have seen 
him in the sacred precincts of the home — at his own ample and hospitable fireside 




^ 



CX'WVT- 




UK1'RE.SK.NI"ATIVK MICN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. I43 

— really know the man. There, as youthful rn heart and spirits as in appearance, 
he is a boy with his boys, a lover with his wife and a free and happy entertainer 
with his friends. 

He is livinLj at Madison antl carryinj^ with his customary energy, industry, inj^e- 
luiity and ability, the burden of a great practice, and during 1894, between the 
pressure of many courts and clients, found time also, as has been stated, to ener- 
getically lead in the campaign of his party. 



HON. SAMUEL D. HASTINGS, 



''P^IIE name of Hastings is that of an illustrious family in history; and the race to 
-L which it applies is of Danish origin. In the early days of the British kingdom, 
the Danes made frequent incursions upon that part of England and Scotland bor- 
dering upon the North Sea. 

It was in one of these incursions that Hastings, a Danish chief, made himself 
formidable to Alfred the Great, by landing a large body of men upon the coast. 
1 le took possession of a portion of Sussex; and the castle and seaport were held by 
his family when William the Conqueror landed in England; and they held it from 
the crown for many generations. 

The first of the family who enjoyed the peerage was Henry, Lord Hastings, 
son of William de Hastings, steward of Henry II. They were allied by marriage 
to the royal family of England and Scotland. George, the third Lord Hastings, was 
in 1529 created Earl of Huntingdon. Sir Henry and George Hastings, grandsons 
of the Earl of Huntingdon, had sons who became Puritans and were obliged by 
persecution to leave their native land and find homes in the New World. 

Thomas Hastings was the founder of the family in America, he having settled 
in the "Massachusetts Bay Colony" in 1634, where he held many offices of re- 
sponsibility. It is from him that the subject of this sketch is descended. 

Samuel Dexter Hastings was born in Leicester, Worcester county, Massachu- 
setts,, July 24, 1816, and is the son of Simon and Betsey (Mcintosh) Hastings. I lis 
grandfather, Mcintosh, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, under the command 
of General Washington. His mother possessed in a marked degree, decision of 
character, independence of thought, and ardent devotion to her children: these 
elements doubtless stamped her son with some of his noble traits, and early in life 
the potentiality of the Hastings motto, "In V'eritate Victoria," was impressed upon 
him. 

Mr. Hastings' early life was passed in Boston, and his school training was lim- 
ited to the first thirteen years of his life. From the age of fourteen to thirty his 
home was in the cityof Philadelphia. While engaged in the humble duties incident 
to the beginning of mercantile life he pursued a course of study which was prac- 
tical though not strictly scientific or classical. In his public life he has often experi- 
enced a n(-ed of assuring science, but has much more frequently reaped the benefit 



144 BIOGRArillCAl. IIUIRINAUV AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 

of tlic i)ractical culture acquired by the self-drill and self-clepenclence in youth. .Be- 
fore twenty-one years of at^e, through the aid of a gentleman from his native village, 
he was established in business for himself. Although always engaged in some active 
business, by which to secure a support for himself and those depending upon him, 
he never allowed the acquirement of money to be the sole aim of his life, otherwise 
he might be numbered among the wealthy men of the land. But the reformatory and 
philanthrof)ic movements of the times always engrossed much of his time and ener- 
gies. Entertaining a lively interest in human affairs, he could not forego the responsi- 
bility of a conscientious citizen of the Republic, and allow himself to drift on the 
tide of events without an effort for public reform. He kepthimself thoroughlyposted 
on the live questions of religious, social and political life; the anti-slavery move- 
ment was one of the political questions which engrossed his attention; He was one 
of the " Liberty Party" in Pennsylvania, and, though quite a young man, was made 
chairman of the State Central Committee. He persisted in the advocacy of the prin- 
ciples of the "Liberty Party" even to the detriment of his business, and all through 
his public career, and in all his public speeches, many of which may be found in the 
archives of Wisconsin, he was always an advocate of universal freedom and educa- 
tion. In 1846 he settled in Walworth county, Wisconsin Territory, and he has been 
actively identified with the history of the State. Soon after he located in Wisconsin 
he was elected |ustice of the Peace, without his knowledge or consent; and, equally 
without his solicitation or knowledge that his name was to be used, he was, in 1848, 
nominated for the Legislature, elected by a large majority, and went to the capi- 
tal, Madison, in 1849, as a member of the first regular session of the Legislature after 
the State was admitted into the Union. During that session he delivered a speech 
before the Assembly on the subject of slavery, opposing its extension into the ter- 
ritories, and denouncing all Congressional legislation which in anyway favored the 
slave trade. This speech was published and widely circulated by the newspapers of 
that day, and was afterwards republished and extensively circulated as one of the 
documents of the anti-slavery society. It is pleasant to record that the resolutions 
for which he spoke and of which he, as chairman of the select committee, was 
author, with some slight amendment, passed both houses, irrevocably committing 
the State to the principles he so ably advocated. 

The Milwaukee Free-Democrat of that date, says: "He performed a large 
amount of labor as one of the joint special committee on enrolled bills reported by 
the revisers and compilers. * * * * He was one of the best speakers of the 
House and much respected by his associates. He belongs to the class of men who 
will do right though the heavens fall; never too numerous in a legislative body. 
Representative and constituent were alike lu)nored by his election." 

In the year 1852 he moved from Walworth county to La Crosse, where in many 
ways he was recognized as co-operative in building up the town and promoting its 
institutions. He afterward removed to Trempealeau, then a new town on the Mis- 
sissippi, to develop and build on property there. In 1856 he was again brought 
into political life by his second election to the Legislature, and in the fall of 1857 he 
was elected Treasurer of the State. This office he filled for four consecutive terms 
of two years each, with a degree of al)ilit\ that won unqualified commendation from 



KErKESKNTATlVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. I45 

all. A portion of his term of office was durintf the trying period of the great Rebel- 
lion, when the resources of the State were drained off toward the maintenance of 
the Union. To him the State is under obligations for the most astute management 
of her finances; projecting plans of economy; securing good legislation on measures 
of finance; and recommending a practical disposition of the State war bonds. 1 lis 
duties were arduous, and he applied himself with unwearying zeal, declining all 
tenders of promotion to Congressional honor, that he might serve the interests of 
iiis State in the capacity designated by his constituents. 

During all his political career, with its multiplicity of cares, toils and tests, he 
was an ardent and earnest advocate of temperance reform. From early boyhood 
through the varied changes of life he always found time and means to spend in this 
great cause, for he never drank liquor or used tobacco, but was energetic in meas- 
ures designed to remove the curse from others, embracing every opportunity of 
visiting societies, making speeches, encouraging legislation, and attending temperance 
organizations. As early as 1849 a bill was presented in the Wisconsin Assembly pro- 
viding for the repeal of all license statutes of the State code, which authorized the sale 
of intoxicating liquors. This bill and the various petitions appertainingtheretowere 
referred to a committee of five, Mr. Hastings, who was then a member of the Assem- 
bly, being one. It fell to his lot to write the committee's report, and it is an exhaus- 
tive and masterly document. The bill thus reported, passed the Assembly by a vote 
of forty-one to five; it also passed the Senate, but was afterward reconsidered and 
lost by a majority of two. Thus it will be seen, that Mr. Hastings' best energies 
and influence have long been arrayed squarely against the liquor traffic. In the 
order of .Sons of Temperance which was once a considerable body in the United 
.States, Mr. Hastings arose to the position of Grand Worthy Patriarch of Wisconsin, 
and was sent as a delegate to the national division at Chicago, which was presided 
over by Judge O'Neill of South Carolina and Neal Dow, Most Worthy Associate. 
In February, 1857, while a member of the State Assembly, he becaine a member of 
the "Capital" Lodge, I. O. G. T., and has ever since retained his membership, and 
attends the meetings regularly every week when at home. 

He was elected representative to the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin from "Capi- 
tal" Lodge in 1859, but his official duties as State Treasurer prevented his attending 
the session; he was re-elected the next year, and went; was elected Grand Worthy 
Chief Templar, and also representative to the Right Worthy Grand Lodge whose 
session was held at St. Louis, and he attended every subsequent session of that 
body. He was again elected Grand Worthy Chief Templar in 1861, and was 
also representative to the Right Worthy Grand Lodge; at that session, which was 
h(,-ld at Detroit, he was elected Right Worthy Grand Templar, but was declared 
ineligible, because at the time he also held the office of Grand Worthy Chief Tem- 
plar. In 1862 he declined the nomination to the chief chair in his own .State and 
was again elected to the chief chair of the order, which he held four consecutive 
years by re-election, making five in all. 

During that period the order was carried through the cataclysm of ci\il war 
which tested the vitality of all philanthropic organizations. In July, iSji,. while a 
representative of the (irand Lodge of Wisconsin to th(,' Right Worthy Grand Lodge 



146 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



of Good renii)l;irs held in London, England, he was elected Right Worthy Grand 
Templar — the chief office of the Good Templars' order throughout the world. 
This was the sixth time he had been chosen as the head of this order. He was for 
many years vice-president of the National Temperance Society and publication 
house. He was one of the corporate members of the American Board of Commis- 
sioners for Foreign Missions. When a mere youth we find him the presiding officer 
of a Young People's Missionary Society in the Presbyterian Church. At sixteen 
years of age he united with the church and took charge of a class in the Sunday- 
school. Soon afterward he became superintendent of a colored Sunday-school, 
numbering from 200 to 300 children, holding two sessions per day, and engaging a 
fine corps of teachers. In the maintenance of his anti-slavery principle he was com- 
pelled to sever his original church relations and join with others in establishing a 
free Congregational Church, on an anti-slavery basis, in the city of Philadelphia. 
He was made Deacon in the church, which relation, with that of trustee, he sustained 
for many years in the different places in which he has resided. He has also been 
almost constantly identified with the Sunday-school work, and was many years super- 
intendent of one of the best schools in the State. He was two years presiding officer 
of the State Sunday-school convention; at one time he was elected moderator of the 
State convention of the Congregational churches, a position to which but one lay- 
man had ever attained. It was the custom for the retiring moderator to open the 
next session with a sermon. Mr. Hastings was requested to open the session with 
remarks ad libitum. He did so, taking the words "whatsoever ye do, do all to the 
glory of God," from which he set forth clearly the fact that tobacco could not be 
used to the glory of God. The lecture produced a profound sensation, giving tone 
to the whole session and converting several from the use of that noxious weed. In 
the fall of 1874 he went to Australia in the interest of the order of Good Templars 
and the general cause of temperance. He lectured in nearly every city and large 
town in Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania, and received a hearty welcome. It 
is a privilege to examine the beautifully engrossed addresses from the various 
lodges and cities, and the rare gifts from temperance friends and associations in 
those far-away lands. He returned in the spring of 1876 and since that time has 
devoted voice and pen to the cause of temperance. He now holds the office of 
treasurer of the National Prohibition Committee, a position he is eminently quali- 
fied to fill. He was one of the corporate members of the Wisconsin Academy of 
Science, Arts and Letters ,and for nearly twenty years was its treasurer. He has filled 
the positions of trustee of Beloit College, and of Rockford Female Seminary, and 
officer of the Wisconsin Historical Society. He was for many years a member and 
for three years secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Wisconsin State Hospital 
for the Insane; also secretary of the State Board of Charities and Reform. In the 
interest of these institutions he was commissioned to visit and report upon similar es- 
tablishments in Great Britain, which he did during his travels in that country. For 
many years he was a director and treasurer of the Madison Mutual Insurance Com- 
pany, director of the Madison Manufacturing Company, director of the Madison Gas 
Company, and was also connected with various other enterprises of a commercial na- 
ture, in all of which he maintained a reputation for faithfulness and executive ability. 



KKI'RKSENTATn'K MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. I47 

Mr. Hastings was married August i, 1837, to Miss Margaretta Shubert, of 
Philadelphia. They have three children: Samuel D., Jr., Judge of the Fourteenth 
Circuit of Wisconsin and residing at Green Bay; Emma M., the wife of H. R, 
Ilobart, editor of the Railway Age of Chicago, and Florence L., the wife of Henry 
W. Hoyt, secretary and treasurer of the Gates Iron Works of Chicago. Mrs. 
1 lastings is a lady of many noble qualities of mind and heart, and has been a true 
helpmeet and devoted wife to her husband during the half century and more of 
their married life. 

Many valuable contributions to the literature of the day have been made from 
time to time by Mr. Hastings on the questions of reform in which he has been so 
deeply interested. He also edited a volume containing the great speeches of John B. 
iMnch, entitled " The People Versus the Liquor Traffic," which has run through 
man}' editions. 

It seems appropriate in this article to quote from a most e.xcellent sketch, 
written by a warm friend of many years' standing, that appeared in the " Interna- 
tional Good Templar" for October, 1889, as it shows Mr. Hastings' character 
as its appears to one who was in a position to observe his daily life: 

" Born of a family that may be said to be illustrious, richly endowed by nature, 
he has made a record of which even ambition may be proud. Knowing well the 
meaning of true success in life he has so lived, so performed the many duties assigned 
to him, that he has helped to make the world better, to elevate his fellow-men. 
Gentle though strong, his life has been a benediction to those whose good fortune it 
has been to know him. To have his confidence is to possess a friend true in every 
relation of life and always ready to help where help is needed. 

" His most marked characteristics are his deep sense of right, and his great 
abhorrence of wrong. 

" His efforts to remove a wrong once discovered are never relaxed. Willing to 
counsel with others as to the best methods to be adopted or plans to be pursued, 
willing at times to submit to the dictation of others in regard to matters of policy, 
he is inflexible in his determination never to compromise with evil, never to lose 
sight for a moment of the great object in view, — the suppression of wrong and the 
vindication of right. Thus constituted and endowed, his line of life was clearly 
marked out, and it was his to do the work assigned without raising objections or ex- 
pressing regrets. For these reasons the untiring energy, the great managing abil- 
ity that would have insured success in business or professional life Mr. Hastings 
threw into the reform movements of his time and country. Strictly methodical in 
business and successful in all his private undertakings, he has nevertheless always 
felt that the highest claim upon his time and energies was made by those who 
needed help, by any public movement that made for the betterment of humanity. 
Not the accumulation of wealth but tlic faithful performance of all duly, public and 
private, has been his highest aim. 

" Men maybe rightly judged Ijy thtnr associates, by the company they keep, tiie 
« omi)anionshiptheyacknowlcdge. Mr. I lastingsnumberedamong his co-laborers and 
intimate acquaintances Garrison, Lundy, Birney, Whittier, Phillips, Hale, Giddings, 
( icrritt Smith. .Arthur and Lewis Tapi)an, Lucretia and James Mott, Joshua Leavitt, 



148 HlOCKArilKAl, DILTIONAKY AND I'OKIRAIT GALLERY OK THE 



Beriah Circcn, Salmon P. Chase, Thomas Earle, Lydia Maria Child, William Goodell, 
John Rankin, (lamaliel Bailey and Theodore D. and Ant^elina Grimke Weld. This 
is enoiijj;h to sliow that he lived above the plane where dwell the sordid and the 
selfish. 

" With his pen he has also always been active. 1 le has great faith in the printed 
page, in good literature, in getting men to read and thus to think. 1 le believes that 
in this thinking age every great movement develops its own literature; hence he 
warmly advocates a wide circulation of our best papers, of our strongest and soundest 
publications. These he has always supported with both pen and purse. He con- 
tributed to the Pennsylvania Freeman, an anti-slavery paper published in Phila- 
delphia, under the editorship of John G. Whittier; was an occasional correspondent 
for many of the anti-slavery papers published from 1837 to 1845; edited a temper- 
ance de])artment in the La Crosse Democrat in the fifties; and was associate editor 
of the National Prohibitionist published at St. Louis, Missouri. 

"This article would be incomplete without some allusion to Mr. 1 lastings' services 
to his State, during our last great war. The management of our -finances in those 
troublesome times called for the highest ability, and Wisconsin was singularly for- 
tunate in having at the head of her financial department one whose wise and care- 
ful management did much to save the credit of^the State, to secure to our people a 
better monetary systetn, and to provide the means to enable the State to respond 
promptly to all calls made by the nation. In negotiating the State loan in 1861, for 
the purpose of securing funds with which to carry on the war, Mr. Hastings and 
those associated with him acted with promptness and marked discretion. Under 
their management the best terms possible were secured, a financial panic was pre- 
vented, and our home currency was placed u[)on a much better and safer founda- 
tion." 

The man who, but a few short years ago, was traveling around the world bear- 
ing the message, and obeying the commands of his order, is now watching with un- 
flagging interest, and heli)ing with untiring zeal, the great work to which he has so 
largely devoted his life. 

Mr. I lastings has always been in advance of his time. 1 le has been a leader in 
all true reforms. His writings and speeches of forty years ago are studied and 
copied to-day by those in the front ranks of the temperance and prohibition move- 
ments. 

As years go by he enjoys the s])lendi(l satisfaction of seeing those who were 
.strong opponents of his doctrines and his politics become warm and earnest sup- 
porters of both. To Wisconsin workers Mr. Hastings is more than a mere member 
of the Good Templar Order, or of the Prohil)ition parly. He is the embodiment 
of their fondest hopes, of their highest ambitions. To him they look with more 
than confidence and respect, — with love and reverence. They trust him implicitly. 
They follow him unhesitatingly. Whoever else may, for the time being, be nominal 
leader, he is the one to whom all look, with whom all are willing to stand. 

A life spent in doing good, in helping the needy, in lifting the fallen, in cheer- 
ing the downcast, is now drawing to a close, but e\en its closing years |)romise 
much. Old age is not necessarily a synon)in for weakness, for childishness, for 



REPRESKNTATIVK MKN OV THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. I4Q 

inactivity. It need not suggest, as a matter of course, want of occupation or help- 
lessness. There is an old age that is a benediction to all who come in contact with 
it, that gives out of its rich stores of learning and experience, that grows stronger 
iiitcllectuall}' and spiritually as it approaches its end. There is an old age so radiant 
with hope, so strengthened by an abiding faith, that it suggests the immortal youth 
beyond. This is the old age in which Mr. Hastings is now passing the later though 
it cannot be said the declining years of his busy and useful life. With every sense 
clear and active; with eye scarce dimmed and natural force almost unabated, with 
mind keenly observant of passing events; with voice and pen still speaking for Ciod 
and humanity, he has reached the verge of four score years serene and strong, and 
giving to those whose privilege it is to be about him the hope that for years not a 
few he may yet continue to benefit the world by remaining in it. 



HON. ROBERT M. BASHFORD, 



ROBERT M. BA-SHP'ORD was born at Fayette, La Fayette county, Wisconsin, 
December 31, 1845, and is a son of Dr. Samuel M. and Mary Ann (McKee) Bash- 
ford. His father was a native of New York city, where he studied and practiced 
medicine. This pursuit becoming distasteful to him soon after reaching his major- 
ity, he removed to the West and settled in Grant county, Wisconsin, in July, 1835. 
Having there buried his first wife, he was, on June 27, 1843, married to Mrs. Mary 
Ann Parkinson, whose first husband, William Carroll Parkinson, had died a few- 
years before. After removing to the West, he never practiced medicine as a pro- 
fession, but in the new and sparsely settled country, when no other physician could 
be had, he was frequently called upon to attend the sick, which he did cheerfully 
and free of charge. He had also become identified with the Methodist Church as 
a regularly ordained deacon and local preacher, which, together with his pursuit as 
a farmer, made him a most useful citizen in the community. While holding relig- 
ious services in Willow Springs, a few miles from his home-, on June 16, 1850, he 
was stricken with apoplexy and died, aged thirty-six years. 

The mother of our subject was a native of Kentucky, the daughter of Robert 
McKee, and in childhood removed with her parents to Edwardsville, Illinois. 
There she was first married, when but eighteen years old, and soon after, with her 
husband, who was not much older, moved to the Territory of Wisconsin, traveling 
overland with teams, and settled in Fayette, then known as Parkinson's settlement, 
in the spring of 1839, upon the same tract of land on which she has ever since 
resided. After the death of her second husband, she married, in 1852, William P. 
Troasdale, with whom she lived until his death in 1890. .She bore nine children. 
seven of whom reached majority and six of whom still survive. 

Robert M. Bashford spent his boyhood on the farm, attending public ant! [pri- 
vate schools portions of each year until the fall nf 1S63, when he entered the 
|)reparatory department of the State University and graduated in the course of 



I50 BlOGRArmCAL DICTIONARY ANP IMKrUAir CAl I 1 RV Ol lUl- 



anoii-m classics in luiu\ 1S70. Purine; his i-olK'i;i' loursr lu- was ol>lii;\-(l to teach 
to supply tho moans lor his own oiUuatioii. as twi^ olhcr brothers wore atlcntliui; 
tho university, iluriiiii' parts of the same perioil. Uet'ore his ^railuation lie had 
tavtiiht as principal of the schools at Limlen, IVnnette aiMl Oarlinoton, in his native 
State, ami hail receiveil tlatterin.i; i^tTers to continue in that work. 1 le hail, however, 
ileciilcil to practice law. anil, in the fall of 1S70. entereil the law school of the State 
University, aiul at the same time the law otVice of Smith ^c Lamb, then one of the 
leailin.a firms in the Si.vte, located .u M.ulison. lie orailuatcil in the law course in 
1871, anil was then prevailed upoi\ to enter into copartnership with Messrs. John R. 
and .\. C Tarkiitson and licorice Ra\ ner for the purchase of the Madison IXiiU .uui 
Weekly IVMuocr.it. 1 le continued as one of the editors and proiM'ietors of the p.iper 
from .April. 1S71. to April. 1870. durii\>i- which time new presses. iiui m.iteri.il werepur- 
chased. the paper was enlaroed. the daily edition chaitiied from an evenini; to.i morn- 
iuii paper, and it was placed uponasolidfotnulationastheleadin^- Oemocratic newspa- 
l>er in the State. Mr. Hashford was always liberal and pro^-ressive in his views upon 
political subjects, and coura.iieous in the expression of his convictions. For this rea- 
son he frequently encountered the opposition of the "Hourbon" element of his party. 

In 1871 he favored the nomination of Hon. James R. Poolittle tor Ciovernor. 
by the Oemocralic State convention, althoujih Mr. Poolittle had but recently sepa- 
rated from his Republican associations in the United States Senate. The nomina- 
tion was made, though bitterly opposed by the old-line Oemocrats. .md Mr. 
Bashford served as secretary of the Oemocratic State central committee, lie here 
received his first lessons in practical politics, and from .i leader of larjje experience, 
who was thorouiihly skilled in all the honorable methods of party warfare. Mr. 
Poolittle had served twelve years in the United States Senate during the period of 
the war and reconstruction, and was the confidential friend of Abraham l.incolu 
during his Presidency. He had a knowledge of public men and a familiarit\ with 
public atTairs during this period that gave his words the weight of history. He was 
then in the full maturity of powers — a man of line presence and great gifts as an 
orator, and he niade the canvass of the State of Wisconsin in 1871 with the expec- 
tation, if successful, of being the standard-bearer of the Pemocracy and liberal 
Republicans for President in 1872. He was defeated and was content to preside 
over the national convention at Baltimore, which endorsed Horace Greeley as 
such candidate. 

The nomination of Horace Greeley by the Liberal Republicans at Cincinnati. 
ii\ i87-\ was a disappointment to the friends of the movenient. but Mr. Bashtord 
considered it to be the true course for the Pemocracy to endorse his candidacy. 
His associates on the paper were absent at the time, but he took the responsibility 
of hoisting the names of the candidates and committing the paper to their support. 
This was in advance of the Pemocratic National convention, which assembled in 
luly. and many of the leading Pemocrats of the State were outspoken in their 
opposition to the endorsement of the Liberal candidates. The delegates chosen 
fron\ Wisconsin. ho\vever. were imanimously in favor of endorsement, as were the 
deleaates from most of the other States, thus vindicating the wisdom of the politi- 
cal course of the Pemocrat. 



I'l Ikl '-1 V r A-riVi; men Ol- TlIK LNITEt) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 151 

Mr. Baslifonl was ospocially active; in the campai>^n of 1873 in Wisconsin, and 
was influential in hrinj^in^^ about a union between the Gran((er or reform element in 
l<oiitics and the Democratic party, which resulted in the nomination and election of 
the ticket headed l>y the Hon. William R. Taylor, of Dane county, for f jovernor. 
The (jran(^er lej^islation followed, which was more radical than cither party honestly 
desired; then a contest in the courts to test the validity of these enactments, and 
the ultimate triumph of the .State, establishing/ the rij^ht of the Le^/islature to control 
railway corjjorations of its own creation, or carryinj^ on business by its authority. 
The .State camijai^n of 1875 was memorable for its bitterness and personalities, but 
the Democratic Reform State ticket was re-elected, with the exception of Tjovernor 
Taylor, who was defeated by a few hundred votes, throuf^h the special efforts of 
the railway corporations and the treachery of party associates in one part of the 
State. Durini^ the periofi of the supremacy of his party in the State, Mr. Hashford, 
as editor of its leadinj^ newspaper, exerted his influence to secure the fulfillment of 
every pled^^e made to the people and to enforce efficiency and economy in every 
department of the Ciovernment. 

While connected with the Democrat, in addition to his other duties, Mr. Bash- 
ford reported one House of the Legislature. He also compiled the Legislative 
Manual for 1875, 1876, 1877 and 1878, by appointment of Hon. Peter Doyle, .Secre- 
tary of State, and made the Blue Book a standard for works of this character. In 
this manner he acquired great familiarity with legislative proceedings and with the 
details of public affairs in connection with the State departments and State institu- 
tions. Mr. Bashford was also connected with the publication of the Revised 
Statutes of Wisconsin for 1878. 

In 1876 he disposed of his interest in the Madison Democrat to engage in the 
I>ractice of law, and became a member of the law firm of <^iill, Bashford & Spilde. 
He has since applied himself dilligently to the practice of his profession. In 1882 
he became a member of the firm of Tenney, Bashford & Tenney, which for the 
ensuing three years did an extensive business in commercial law throughout Wis- 
consin and adjoining States. In 1885 Mr. Bashford opened an office with Mr. 
Tenney under the same firm name in the city of Chicago, where he was especially 
engaged in commercial law and corporation cases. This firm enjoyed a large prac- 
tice, but Mr. Bashford did not feel physically able to endure the continual pressure 
and daily <lrudgery of the court room, and in 1889 severed his connection with the 
firm in Chicago and returned to Madison to resume the practice of his profession 
among his old friends and clients. He then formefl a copartnership with Hon. 
Janiffs L. CyConnor, the present Attorney General, which still continues under the 
firm name of Bashford, O'Connor, Polleys & Aylwarrl, the latter gentlemen having 
but recently become members of the firm. .Mr. Bashford's professional engage- 
ments have called him before the different courts of Wisconsin and Illinois and 
occasionally before the courts of Iowa, .Nebraska, .Michigan, .Minnesota and Dakota, 
and he has thereby become widely known as a lawyer throughout the Northwest. 
He has been connected with many leading cases in the courts of Illinois and Wis- 
consin during the last ten years, but has won his widest distinction as a lawyer in 
the (jrosecution of the suits against the former State Treasurers of Wisconsin to 



152 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

recover interest paid by the banks upon the deposit of pubHc funds. He was em- 
ployed as special counsel in those suits by Governor Peck, and, in connection with 
Attorney General O'Connor and Senator Vilas, prosecuted them to a successful 
conclusion in the Circuit and Supreme courts of the State. By the reason of the 
large amounts involved, the prominence of the ex-Treasurers and their bondsmen, 
and their party affiliations, these cases attracted great attention throughout the 
country. 

It had been the custom for the Treasurers of the State of Wisconsin to deposit 
State funds in banks throughout the State and to retain the interest obtained on 
these funds for their personal uses. A large number of the citizens of the State 
believed that the interest rightly belonged to the commonwealth, and when the 
political complexion of the State officers was changed, it was decided to institute 
legal proceedings against the several past Treasurers of the State and their bonds- 
men. February ii, iSgi, Mr. Bashford was formally employed, as prescribed by 
law, on behalf of the State, to assist the Attorney General in prosecuting these 
cases. Prior to that time he had been consulted by the Governor and Attorney 
General upon the subject, and had devoted considerable time to the study of the 
constitution and statutes of the State and decisions of the courts relating to the 
duty and liability of the State Treasurers with respect to the several funds in his 
official custody, and investigating the liability of the sureties upon the official bond, 
and considering the form of action, if any was to be brought to recover the interest 
moneys which had been received by the past State Treasurers. It was decided to 
proceed against Richard Guenther, Edward C. McFetridge and Henry B. Harshaw, 
three of said past treasurers and their sureties, for the recovery of said interest 
moneys. 

There were no books or records in the offices of the State Treasurer or in any 
other office in the capital relating to the transactions of the past State Treasurers 
with the banks, showing the amounts of public moneys that had been kept on 
deposit upon which interest was collected. In commencing these suits, the attorneys 
for the State had no information as to the names of the banks which had held 
the deposits, or the amounts of such deposits with the different banks, or the rate 
or amount of interest paid. The proceedings following immediately upon the ser- 
vice of the summons in the different suits, imposed upon the attorneys representing 
the State constant care and attention and diligent and painstaking labor in the 
preparation of the necessary papers, in the investigation of facts supposed to exist, 
and in conducting the examination of witnesses relating to so many transactions 
and covering so wide a field of inquiry. The character of the litigation, the public 
interest taken in the proceedings and the unfriendly attitude of a portion of the 
press, did not lessen the responsibility of professional service in connection with 
these cases, but, on the contrary, added to the labor, skill and diligence, that would 
otherwise have been demanded. The cases were prosecuted with diligence and 
vigor; and from the beginning to the end of the proceedings, upon preliminary and 
interlocutory motions and upon the final hearing, every decision rendered upon 
every material point or question presented to any judge or court was in favor of 
the State. 

The defendants were represented by several leading members of the bar of the 



KErRESENTATIVE MKN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 1 53 

State. Messrs. Pinney, Stark, Felker, Quarles and others of prominence and ability 
were adversaries worthy of a foeman's steel. But the State was victorious in these 
suits and obtained judgments against the parties, aggregating $445,655.13, and recov- 
ering that amount for the tax-payers of Wisconsin. 

Mr. Bashford was occupied almost continuously for a period of two years in 
respect to these cases; he gave his personal attention to the preparation of all 
papers and pleadings in these actions, to the motions that were made during their 
progress, and attended and participated in the examination of all the adverse par- 
ties and other witnesses in different parts of the State, and to the preparation of 
the briefs and arguments in the circuit and supreme courts. Mr. Bashford devoted 
iiis time to these cases almost entirely, to the exclusion of other employment or 
business. 

Mr. Bashford has always taken a lively interest in public affairs and has ren- 
dered valuable service to the people in official station. In 1881 he was elected City 
Attorney of Madison, and was enabled, by a carefully written opinion, to defeat a 
proposition, before the common council, to give a franchise to a private corpora- 
tion to construct waterworks for the city. The council, acting upon his advice, 
refused to grant the franchise, and adopted a resolution proposed by him, creating 
a committee to secure the necessary legislation to enable the city to build, own and 
control its own waterworks. Mr. Bashford served on the committee and prepared 
the amendments to the charter, which were adopted. In the ensuing year a com- 
mittee was appointed by the common council to provide means and plans to pro- 
ceed with the construction of a complete system of waterworks and to carry such 
plans into execution. As City Attorney, he was a member of this committee, pre- 
pared all the contracts and aided ;n their enforcement. The construction of 
waterworks necessitated the building of sewers, and Mr. Bashford, as City 
Attorney, served on like committees to secure legislation and to award contracts 
and supervise the construction of the works. He served as City Attorney from 
1881 to 1886, when he resigned, having seen, during the period for which he served, 
the waterworks and sewers constructed and put into successful operation. He also 
served as a member of the Board of Water Commissioners and as a member of the 
Board of Education for a period, until he resigned from each place. 

In the spring of i8qo he was elected Mayor of the city and was called ui)on to 
administer affairs under rather embarrassing conditions. The finances were not 
sufficient to defray current expenses for the ensuing year; and at the first meeting 
of the common council, a resolution was adopted, appointing a committee, of 
which the Mayor was named as chairman, to investigate charges of corruption upon 
the part of two of the aldermen and the chief of the fire department, in connection 
with the purchase of hose for the city during the preceeding term. 

The investigation resulted in the expulsion of the two aldermen and the re- 
moval of the chief of the fire department. This was a most unpleasant task for 
the new Mayor, as the delinquent officers had, for a long time, enjoyed the confi- 
dence of the people, and two of them had been his personal and political friends, 
and every influence was brought to bear to prevent vigorous punishment. But 
Mayor Bashford took the ground that "in dealing with malfeasance in office, there 



154 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 

can be no compromise; no half way means can remove the evil and root out cor- 
ruption entrenched in high places." The common council stood as a unit in his 
support, as did also the press and people of the city, regardless of party. 

Notwithstanding the condition of the finances of the city. Mayor Bashford was 
enabled, by disposing of certain city lots, to purchase a stone quarry for the city and 
a steam road-roller and thus provide the means for the successful prosecution of street 
work. The necessary legislation was secured to enable the city to issue bonds for 
building street crossings, when the remainder of the work was paid for by special 
assessments, and a thorough system of street improvements was then inaugurated. 
Work for the ensuing year was laid out and ordered and adequate funds were pro- 
vided and left in the treasury for its successful prosecution. The fact that Mr. 
Bashford was, in a measure, at least, instrumental in the building of the waterworks 
and sewers and in providing a stone quarry and steam road-roller, and in inaugu- 
rating a proper system for street improvement, indicates the character and purpose 
of his service for the public. He has always aimed at permanent results and 
has not sought to attain temporary advantages by the sacrifice of higher and more 
remote ends. 

While devoting his attention assiduously to the practice of law, Mr. Bashford 
could not avoid participating more or less in public affairs of a political character. 
He has always had decided convictions and was ever ready to labor for the success 
of his party. He has served on the city, county and State central committees 
from time to time; has been a delegate to the city, county and State conventions; 
and in 1884 was chosen a delegate to the National Democratic Convention, at 
Chicago. It was a singular fact that he and his colleagues and their alternates in 
that convention were all natives of the districts which they represented. 

Mr. Bashford, in 1892, was elected to the State Senate from the district em- 
bracing the city of Madison and the larger portion of Dane county, for a term of 
four years. He entered upon the discharge of the duties of the office January 11, 
1893, ^^^ '^^^^ immediately appointed upon important committees of that body. He 
at once took an active part in the general work of the Senate and codified the gen- 
eral election laws and the general charter bill, which were referred to him as a 
special committee for revision. He also introduced a bill providing for the exam- 
ination of State banks, private banks, loan and trust companies and building and 
loan associations, by a State bank examiner. Owing to the opposition of various 
financial institutions, the bill failed to pass. He introduced and advocated measures 
for the advancement of the educational and material interests of the State, and was 
especially active in securing for the university a liberal appropriation for general 
purposes and a special appropriation for the purchase of forty-two acres of land, 
located within the city limits and known as Old Camp Randall, for university field 
sports and other athletic exercises. 

In his first message to the common council, while Mayor of Madison, he 
stated the rule which he always alms to follow, — that "the public welfare is the 
only safe guide for official conduct." 

In June, 1893, ^^•'- Bashford was elected lecturer on corporation and commer- 
cial law at the State University. He had, in 1885, been elected a professor in the 



y.,^ 






KKI'KESKNTATIVE MKN OK THE UMIEI) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 157 

law school, having assigned to him the subjects of federal procedure and fraud- 
ulent conveyances. He resigned this position when he removed to Chicago. 

Mr. Bashford was first married on November 27, 1873, ^^ Miss Florence E. 
Taylor, the daughter of Hon. William R. Taylor, of Cottage Grove, Dane county, 
Wisconsin, then Governor elect. She was born in that town and was then in her 
nineteenth year and a member of the senior class of the State University, at 
which she graduated in June, 1874. She departed this life August 16, 1886, having 
been for some years prior to her death a confirmed invalid. A daughter, Florence, 
survives. 

On February 7, 1889, Mr. Bashford was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Amelia 
I'uller, the youngest daughter of Morris E. Fuller, one of Madison's leading busi- 
ness men. Their home, celebrated for its hospitality, is the center of a large circle 
of friends who there always find a cordial welcome and congenial associations. 



HON. JOHN B. CASSODAY, LL. D., 

MADISON. 

JUSTICE CASSODAY was born in Herkimer county, New York, July 7, 1830. 
About three years later his father died and he and his mother moved with her 
parents to Tioga county, Pennsylvania. He began life as poor as the poorest of 
boys, but the same industry, good judgment and well-directed ambition which 
made him one of the foremost lawyers of Wisconsin, carried him successfully 
through his early struggles. Besides occasionally attending district school for a few 
months, working for his board, he attended one term at the village school at Tioga 
and one term at the Wellsborough Academy before he was seventeen. For the 
next four years he was engaged in various kinds of manual labor and occasionally 
teaching in the winters. He afterward spent two terms at the Academy of Knox- 
ville, Pennsylvania, and two years at Alfred (New York) Academy, from which he 
was graduated. He then went to the University of Michigan, where he spent one 
year, taking the select course, which was supplemented by a short term at the 
Albany Law School and reading in a law office at Wellsborough, Pennsylvania. 
Desiring to find a wider field, he went West in 1857 and settled in Janesville, Wis- 
consin, where he entered the law office of H. S. Conger, afterward Judge of the 
Twelfth Judicial Circuit, and pursued his law studies there until 1858, when he 
became a member of the firm of Bennett, Cassoday & Gibbs, which continued 
for s«;ven years. He was ambitious and full of energy; and with a manly self- 
consciousness of his ability, integrity of purpose and determination to succeed in 
life, both as a man and as a lawyer, he took his place and was soon recognized as 
the peer of his brethren at the bar. 

From 1866 to 1868 he was alone in his jjractice. At the latter date the firm of 
Cassoday & Merrill was formed and was continued for five years, when Mr. Mer- 
rill retired from practice. That firm was succeeded by the firm of Cassoday & 
Carpenter, which continued until our subject was appointed to the Su])reme Bench, 
November 11, 1880. 



158 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

As a lawyer, justice Cassoday was one of the brightest and most successful in 
the State. From the outset of his career he showed a clear, analytical mind, well- 
balanced, cool and cautious; but the success he obtained could only come from 
downright hard study and work. While in practice he was devoted to his profession, 
thorough and methodical in the preparation of his cases, and skilled and judicious 
in their management, always true to his client and equally true to himself and to the 
court, intensely anxious to succeed, but always just and courteous to his opponents, 
he took nothing for granted, but went to the bottom of every question, and the 
members of the bar who were tempted to rake after him found but scant gleaning. 
In his arguments his earnest and clever manner of presenting each particular case 
and his complete mastery of the questions involved, gave him a rare power and 
caused him to be listened to by court, jury and the bar with the utmost attention 
and sincerest respect. His practice was general, and during his twenty-three years 
at the bar he was constantly crowded with business. Among the cases in which he 
was thus engaged may be mentioned the Jackman Will Case, 26 Wisconsin, 104; 
Chapin Will Case, 32 Wisconsin, 557; Culver vs. Palmer, Smith vs. Ford, 48 Wis- 
consin, 115; Rowell vs. Harris Manufacturing Company, and Sergeant Manufacturing 
Company vs. Woodruff — the last two being patent cases in the Federal courts. 

Justice Cassoday's first vote for a Presidential candidate was for Franklin 
Pierce in 1852, but he has been a Republican ever since the organization of that 
party. In 1864 he was a delegate to the Baltimore convention, which nominated 
Lincoln, and was placed upon the committee on credentials, which was that year a 
very important committee. He was the only member of the Wisconsin delegation 
who voted for Andrew Johnson as a candidate for Vice President. In the same 
year he was elected to the Wisconsin Assembly, and during the session served 
with credit on the judiciary and railroad committees. The Thirteenth Amendment 
to the Constitution of the United States was ratified by this legislature at this ses- 
sion, and Justice Cassoday took an active part in the debate upon its passage. In 
1876 he was again called upon to represent his district in the same body and was 
then chosen its Speaker without opposition in his own party. He made up the 
committees with strict reference to their experience and capacity, and announced 
their appointment on the second day of the session. By so doing and by his tact 
and executive ability in the chair, the business was completed in fifty-eight days, 
being one of the shortest sessions in the history of the State. While he was speaker 
he confined himself strictly and exclusively to the duties of his office, and made 
himself master of parliamentary laws, so much so that he has since been habitually 
consulted on such questions. 

In 1880 he was a delegate at large to the National Republican convention at 
Chicago and was chairman of the Wisconsin delegation. He presented to the 
convention the name of the late Elihu B. Washburne as a candidate for President 
in a speech that was worthy the man and the occasion. On the morning of the 
second day of the balloting for a candidate for President, sixteen members of the 
Wisconsin delegation,^including General Rusk, General Winkler, Joseph V. Quarles, 
William E. Carter, Norman L. James, A. J. Turner, the late Edward Sanderson, 
Judge Frank L. Gibson and Justice Cassoday, before leaving their hotel, resolved 



KErRESENTATlVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 159 

to cast their votes for James A. Garfield: and it was left to Justice Cassoday to 
determine the opportune time for casting such vote. Accordingly, and after six 
ballots had been taken and Edmunds' strength had gone to Sherman, and Wash- 
burne had lost twelve votes from Indiana, Justice Cassoday announced to his fellow- 
delegates that the time had come for breaking the dead lock; and thereupon and on 
the thirty-fourth ballot, he announced the vote of the delegation, — sixteen of the 
votes being cast for General Garfield, who was nominated on the second ballot 
thereafter. 

While at the bar Justice Cassoday kept up a lively interest in all public ques- 
tions and took an active part upon the stump in every important political campaign 
from 1856 toi88o inclusive. He at all times exhibited an unflinching fidelity to the 
interests of the people and the fundamental principles of the Republican party. He 
was frequently a delegate to State conventions, and presided over the one in 1879. 
1 le declined to be a candidate for numerous offices, including Circuit Judge in 1870, 
and Attorney General in 1875. He was no politician in the ordinary sense of that 
word, and was never a partisan in any sense. 

October 19, 1880, that eminent jurist. Chief Justice Ryan, unexpectedly died, 
thereby creating a vacancy upon the Supreme Bench. In a few days the Republi- 
can press pretty generally came out in favor of the appointment of our subject for 
the vacancy. Up to that time he had never had any judicial experience, and was 
then engaged in stumping the State for Garfield and the Republican party, and 
continued to do so until the election, which occurred November 2. 

October 23, 1880, the Rock county bar held a meeting and unanimously re- 
solved to urge the Governor to appoint Justice Cassoday to the office made vacant 
by the death of Justice Ryan, and sent the following communication to the 
Governor : 

jANEsvn.i.E, October 25, 1880. 
Hon. William E. Smith, 

Governor of Wisconsin: 
Dear Sir: We desire to present for your most favorable consideration the name of the Hon. 
John B. Cassoday of tliis city, for a candidate for appointment as Chief Justice of the Supreme 
Court of this State. From an intimate acquaintance with him by most of us for more than 
twenty years, we take pleasure in saying that he is a gentleman of irreproachable public and 
private character. As a lawyer, he is industrious, able and learned in his chosen profession, and, 
in our judgment, he will honor and adorn the place made vacant by the late learned and illustrious 
Chief Justice. Yours, with highest respect, 

Ogden H. Fethers. H. H. Blanchard. John Nichols. Wm. Smith. 

F. N. Hendrix. Frank Brooks. J. W. Sale. E. M. Hvzer. 

Geo. G. Sutheki.anu. A. O. Wilson. William Street. S. A.Hudson. 

John Winans. A. Hyatt Smith. John R. Bennett. M. S. Prichard. 

T. J. Emmons. B. F. Dunwiddie. Pliny Norcross. Wm. Ruger. 

J J. R. Pease. L. F. Patten. Ed. F. Carpenter. M. M. Phelps. 

Tom. S. Nolan. A. C. Bates. B. B. Eldridge. 



l6o BIOGRAI'HICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 

The bar of numerous counties and cities througliout the State followed the 
action of the Rock county organization, and leading attorneys and business men 
from all sections of the State urged his appointment on the Governor. To illustrate 
the opinion regarding the fitness of our subject for the high position to which his 
appointment was urged, we quote herewith two of the many letters received by 
Governor Smith in his behalf. The first is of the same date as the death of Chief 
Justice Ryan and is a worthy tribute from one of the most eminent men that Wis- 
consin has ever produced. 

Washington, October ig, 1880. 
Kis Excellency, William E. Smith, 

Governor, etc: 
My Dear Sir: Upon you is cast the duty of appointing a successor to Hon. E. G. Ryan 
Chief Justice. Hon. J. B. Cassoday, of Janesville, will be presented for your consideration and 
I desire to say that I know him well and believe that he would be an excellent appointee. He is 
a good lawyer, a gentleman, and perfectly honest in thought as well as act, and I should be greatly 
mistaken if his appointment did not prove to be a good one. 

Very truly yours. 

Matt H. Carpenter. 
The second letter is from one who had been intimately associated with our 
subject, both professionally and socially for many years, and who probably was as 
well qualified to speak of his abilities and true worth as any man in the State. The" 
letter is as follows: 

Milwaukee, Nov. 4, 1880. 
Governor William E. Smith, 

Madison, Wis: 
Dear Sir: I left home the middle of October and only returned last Saturday night, or I 
should have written you before, making some suggestions as to the vacancy on the bench of the 
Supreme Court. I have known Mr. Cassoday, of Janesville, over twenty years, and during the 
last five years of my residence there I was his law partner. He is an exceedingly industrious 
and studious lawyer; has had a very large and successful practice; has a judicious turn of mind; 
is a man cf the most unbending integrity; and, in my judgment, is eminently fitted for the Su- 
preme Bench. I have had no communication with Mr. Cassoday on this subject, but I have seen 
the action of the Rock County Bar, and I most heartily endorse that action, and I hope your view 
of Mr. Cassoday 's fitness will lead you to appoint him. Should you appoint Judge Cole to the 
Chief Justiceship and then appoint Mr. Cassoday to the position now held by Judge Cole, I am 
sure Mr. Cassoday's friends would recognize the fitness of such action and would cordially ap- 
prove it. 

I do not tliink it necessary to write at great length, for you are well acquainted with Mr. 
Cassoday, but I have had special opportunities to become familiar with his sterling qualities, and 
I trust you believe I would not recommend his appointment unless I thought such action would 
be for the interest of the people of the State. 

Very respectfully yours, 

Willard Merrill. 
November 11, 1S80, Mr. Justice Cole, who had been a member of the court for 
more than twenty-five years, was appointed by the Governor to the office of Chief 
Justice. He at once accepted the same, and thereupon Mr. Cassoday was appointed 
to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Justice Cole. 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. l6l 



Upon rcrcixiiii,^ notice of his aitpointmcnt, Mr. Cassoday, in the following terms, 
fornially accepted the trust tendered him: 

Janksvili.k, Wis., Nov. 13, 1880. 
To His ExcKi.i.F.NCv, Wii.i.i.AM E. Snhih, 

Governor of Wisconsin: 
Mv Dear Sir: I have received, through your private secretary, Hon. George W. Burchard, 
your letter of the nth instant, enclosing a commission to me as Associate Justice of the Supreme 
Court of this State in place of Justice Cole, resigned. 

Profoundly sensible of the high honor and the great confidence implied, and che sacred 
trust and weighty responsibility imposed; and trusting to the guidance of the great lights of the 
law, whose thoughts, reasons and judgments have been preserved in the books; and relying upon 
that Divine Providence, who so often lights up the darkened pathway, I hereby accept the office 
so generously tendered. 

Your most obedient servant, 

J. B. Cassodav. 

In April, 1881, both Chief Justice Cole and Justice Ca.ssoday were elected to the 
respective offices which they held by appointment, upon calls of the bar, the Legis- 
lature and the people, without regard to party, and with the e.xception of a few 
scattering ballots, received the entire vote of the State — Chief Justice Cole having 
177,522, and Justice Cassoday 177, 553. In June, 1881, Beloit College conferred upon 
Justice Cassoday the degree of LL. D. In iSSg Justice Cassoday was re-elected 
without any opposition, upon calls from the bar of every county in the State, every 
member of the State Legislature and every State officer, and received 210,899 votes, 
being all but two hundred and twelve of the total number of votes cast. 

Since 1885 Justice Cassoday has lectured to the senior classes in the College of 
Law of the University of Wisconsin uiK>n wills and constitutional law. His lec- 
tures on wills have recently been published by the West Publishing Company of 
St. Paul, Minnesota, in a book entitled "Cossoday on Wills," and the same is now 
used as a text book by law students in the Wisconsin University under the instruc- 
tion of John M. Olin, a prominent member of theWisconsin bar, and also in other law^ 
schools. He continues, however, to lecture once a week during the college year 
on the subject of constitutional law. 

On the bench, Justice Cassoday has been indefatigable, and his opinions, 
appearing in thirty-eight volumes of the Wisconsin Reports, commencing with the 
fiftieth, have been cited throughout the land as authority bj' the bench and bar of 
many States. He has written several opinions in very intricate cases on the subject 
of wills, which have attracted more than usual attention from the profession, and we 
therefore mention some of the most important. Will of Mary P. Ladd, 60 Wisconsin, 
187; Scott vs. West, 63 Wisconsin, 529; Newman vs. Waterman, 63 Wisconsin, 612; 
Will of Ward, 70 Wisconsin, 251; Ford vs. F"ord, 70 Wisconsin, ig, and same case, 
72 Wisconsin, 621; the Will of Slinger, 72 Wisconsin, 22; the Will of Abraham 
Khle, 73 Wisconsin, 445; Baker vs. Estate of McLeod, 79 Wisconsin, 534; Burnham 
vs. Burnham, 79 Wisconsin, 557; and Saxton vs. Webber, 83 Wisconsin, 617. He has 
likewise written several opinions in cases involving important questions of constitu- 
tional law, among which may be mentioned Wisconsin Central Railway vs. Taylor 
County, 52 Wisconsin, 37: Baker vs. The State, 54 Wisconsin, 368; Cathcart vs. 



l6o BIOGRAI'HICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



The bar of numerous counties and cities throughout the State followed the 
action of the Rock county organization, and leading attorneys and business men 
from all sections of the State urged his appointment on the Governor. To illustrate 
the opinion regarding the fitness of our subject for the high position to which his 
appointment was urged, we quote herewith two of the many letters received by 
Governor Smith in his behalf. The first is of the same date as the death of Chief 
Justice Ryan and is a worthy tribute from one of the most eminent men that Wis- 
consin has ever produced. 

Washtngton, October ig, 1880. 
Kis Excellency, William E. Smith, 

Governor, etc: 
Mv Dear Sir: Upon you is cast the duty of appointing a successor to Hon. E. G. Ryan 
Chief Justice. Hon. J. B. Cassodaj', of Janesville, will be presented for your consideration and 
I desire to say that I know him well and believe that he would be an excellent appointee. He is 
a good lawyer, a gentleman, and perfectly honest in thought as well as act, and I should be greatly 
mistaken if his appointment did not prove to be a good one. 

Very truly yours. 

Matt H. Carpenter. 
The second letter is from one who had been intimately associated with our 
subject, both professionally and socially for many years, and who probably was as 
well qualified to speak of his abilities and true worth as any man in the State. The" 
letter is as follows: 

Milwaukee, Nov. 4, 1880. 
Governor William E. Smith, 

Madison, Wis: 
Dear Sir: I left home the middle of October and only returned last Saturday night, or I 
should have written you before, making some suggestions as to the vacancy on the bench of the 
Supreme Court. I have known Mr. Cassoday, of Janesville, over twenty years, and during the 
last five years of my residence there I was his law partner. He is an exceedingly industrious 
and studious lawyer; has had a very large and successful practice; has a judicious turn of mind; 
is a man cf the most unbending integrity; and, in my judgment, is eminently fitted for the Su- 
preme Bench. I have had no communication with Mr. Cassoday on this subject, but I have seen 
the action of the Rock County Bar, and I most heartily endorse that action, and I hope your view 
of Mr. Cassoday's fitness will lead you to appoint him. Should you appoint Judge Cole to the 
Chief Justiceship and then appoint Mr. Cassoday to the position now held by Judge Cole, I am 
sure Mr. Cassoday's friends would recognize the fitness of such action and would cordially ap- 
prove it. 

I do not think it necessary to write at great length, for you are well acquainted with Mr. 
Cassoday, but I have had special opportunities to become familiar with his sterling qualities, and 
I trust you believe I would not recommend his appointment unless I thought such action would 
be for the interest of the people of the State. 

\'ery respectful))' yours, 

Willard Merrill. 
November 11, 1880, Mr. Justice Cole, who had been a member of the court for 
more than twenty-tive years, was appointed by the Governor to the ofifice of Chief 
Justice. He at once accepted the same, and thereupon Mr. Cassoday was appointed 
to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Justice Cole. 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. l6l 



U[)on receivinir notice of his ;i]ip()intmciil, Mr. Cassoday, in the followiiijj^ terms, 
fonnall)' accepted the trust tendered him: 

Janesvillk, Wis., Nov. 13, 1880. 
To His Excki.i.encv, William E. SMirH, 

Governor of Wisconsin; 

Mv Dear Sir: I have received, through your private secretary, Hon. George W. Burchard, 
your letter of the nth instant, enclosing a commission to me as Associate Justice of the Supreme 
Court of this State in place of Justice Cole, resigned. 

Profoundly sensible of the high honor and the great confidence implied, and che sacred 
trust and weighty responsibility imposed; and trusting to the guiilance of the great hghts of the 
law, whose thoughts, reasons and judgments have been preserved in the books; and relying upon 
that Divine Providence, who so often lights up the darkened pathway, I hereby accept the office 
so generously tendered. 

Your most obedient servant, 

J. B. Cassoday. 

In April, 18S1, both Chief Justice Cole and Justice Cassoday were elected to the 
respective offices which they held by appointment, upon calls of the bar, the Legis- 
lature and the people, without regard to party, and with the exception of a few 
scattering ballots, received the entire vote of the State — Chief Justice Cole having 
177,522, and Justice Cassoday 177, 553. In June, 1881, Beloit College conferred upon 
Justice Cassoday the degree of LL. D. In 1889 Justice Cassoday was re-elected 
without any opposition, upon calls from the bar of every county in the State, every 
member of the State Legislature and every State officer, and received 210,899 votes, 
being all but two hundred and twelve of the total number of votes cast. 

Since 1885 Justice Cassoday has lectured to the senior classes in the College of 
Law of the University of Wisconsin upon wills and constitutional law. His lec- 
tures on wills have recently been published by the West Publishing Company of 
St. Paul, Minnesota, in a book entitled "Cossoday on Wills," and the same is now 
used as a text book by law students in the Wisconsin University under the instruc- 
tion of John M. Olin, a prominent member of theWisconsin bar, and also in other law 
schools. He continues, however, to lecture once a week during the college year 
on the subject of constitutional law. 

On the bench. Justice Cassoday has been indefatigable, and his opinions, 
appearing in thirty-eight volumes of the Wisconsin Reports, commencing with the 
fiftieth, have been cited throughout the land as authority by the bench and bar of 
many States. He has written several opinions in very intricate cases on the subject 
of wills, which have attracted more than usual attention from the profession, and we 
therefore mention some of the most important. Will of Mary P. Ladd, 60 Wisconsin, 
187; Scott vs. West, 63 Wisconsin, 529; Newman vs. Waterman, 63 Wisconsin, 612; 
Will of Ward, 70 Wisconsin, 251; Ford vs. Ford, 70 Wisconsin, 19, and same case, 
72 Wisconsin, 621; the Will of Slinger, 72 Wisconsin, 22; the Will of Abraham 
Ehle, 73 Wisconsin, 445; Baker vs. Estate of McLeod, 79 Wisconsin, 534; Burnham 
vs. Burnham, 79 Wisconsin, 557; and Saxton vs. Webber, 83 Wisconsin, 617. He has 
likewise written several opinions in cases involving important questions of constitu- 
tional law, among which may be mentioned Wi.sconsin Central Railway vs. Taylor 
County, 52 Wisconsin, 37; Baker vs. The .State, 54 Wisconsin, 368; Cathcart vs. 



lUOCK.MMIU'M 1>H110NAK\ ANU I'OKIKAII CAlllKV Ol lllK 



(.■(iiH'.loi k, SO W isronsin. soo; \\\v lliicai^o X' Nortlwvcslcni l\.ul\v.i\ C'i>in|i.nn vs. 
Langliulc (.■ounly, 5(> Wisionsiii, di |; IviKlwin vs. I'.ly, ()(> Wisconsin, ip: the Stilo 
<\ /v7. Cirt'af vs. l""orfsl (.\xiiUy. 7.1 Wisconsin. 010; the State <m' ;v7. l.arkin \ s. Ky.m, 
70 Wisconsin. (>7(>: 1. S. Koator laimluT I'onip.nn \s. .S|. (.'hmx Hooni (.'(>in|i,iii\ , 
7J Wiscoi\sin, oj; Stati" <a /r/. Woiss vs. Pisiricl Hoaiil. ;•(> Wisconsin, jo,;; .Si.Ui' ,v 
ft/. Sanilcrson vs. Mann, -(> Wisconsin. .|(n); St.itcr 1 ;</. l\a\ ncr \s. Cnnninohain, Sj 
Wisconsin, ,;«); Slato (•.!• ;v7. Lamb vs. Innnini^liani. S^ Wisconsin. 00; .State ('• ;,/. 
Bfown vs. Stewart, (w W'isconsin, 5S7. This last case w.is upon the iniuh mooted 
question of inter-State extratlilii>n, and decided o\er eK\ en \ ears aL;^', and w.is iucon- 
llicl with son\e previous decisions in State courts, .ind w.is sul>sequenil\ di--,ippio\ ed 
liy iMve text writer and twii or tl\ree St, tie courts; hut more recently it has been ex- 
pressly approveil bv other text writers ,ind b\ tiie highest courts in l\>lorado, 
CitHMoia, Ninv York, Massachusetts, North Carolina ai\d by the Supreme Court of 
the I'nited States ii\ the recent case of l.ascelles vs. Ceoroia, iiSCnittnl Statt^s, 5.17. 
(>tlu-r cases n\i.iiht be citeil which h,i\e beei\ of miMc or less iniMic interest, l\ut 
the\ ,u"e too nunierous to nuMttion here. 

In ,iddition to his otiicial dutii"s .ind work in tiie l,iw sclu>ol. justice Cassoday 
li.is prep. lied .md riMil before liter,u\ ;4aiherini:s or socii-ties various p.ipt-rs upon 
1 .i\\ .ind 1 .uv\ers. Lord Mansfield, The .American Lawyer, American Citizenship, 
and lolin -Siott. ,uul Johi\ Marshall, beinij his subjects. Hurin^' the fourteen years 
he has been upon the bench he has entirely refrained from participaliuL; in .in\- 
aflairs or i;atlu>rin_us of .1 politic. il or public n.iture, except th.it he delivered ,111 
address on one b'ourth of |ul\ .ind .1 uu'inori.il .uldress upon the dcith o( lieneral 
C«rant, .Auiivist S, 1S85, both to his old neighbors and friends in j.uiesxille .iiul 
Rock county. The latter address is herewith reproduced. 

Wlieii gi'ortt doeils are to be montionoil, apt \vor»ls arc most ililViciilt to tiiul. W'lu-n j^iot 
sorrow is oxpciionced. the heart is most thoroii5;hly subdued. 

To-dav the vounijer portion of .\merioan citizens are enquiring of ihemsehos, What is the 
cause of tliis extended sorrow? What has induced this great personal devotion? What lias 
prompted these lavish expressions of sympathy and honor? Why this immense funeral cortegt^ 
extendins; throughout the Republic and in other lands? Why should this man be singled out 
fivm tht> many millions and thus ciowiuhI with univeisal hom.ige? These are the questions on 
the lips of the young. 

To those more advanced in life, the occasion revives the memory of a thousand issues, 
each at the time portentous for good or evil; and now, as the spirit of the great hero has crossed 
the silent river, and dust is returned to dust, it is fitting that we take a retrospective glance at 
the events which gave him the opportunities for proving his heroism and greatness — for these 
iinalities existed, though concealed in the man, before being called into action. What person 
whose hair has been frosted by the lapse of time, does not remember the sad mutterings of war 
along the whole southern sky during the five months immediately preceding the outbreak? Dur- 
ing those months, deliance was constantly uttered. States seceded, and a new government 
organized within our boixlers. amidst complications which, seemed to forbid a national protest. 

During those months the false were clamor>->us for surrender; the timid, re.ady to compromise 
or divide the Republic for the sake of peace; and even the brave and patriotic were tilled with 
terrible forebodings on account of pending possibilities. Amid scenes of that character, there 
would i^ccasion.Uly be a voice, louder, tirmcr ,uul more inspiring than the vest. lo tin- elfect: 



REPRESENTATIVK MKN ()!• TIIK UNITKIJ STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 163 



" Stand f(jr the rif,'lit! St.iiid for your coimtryl Trust in (jod! \)i) your duty ;ind all will he 
well!" 

Finally, the red cloud of war llew athwart the sky, and the nation was confronted with the 
terrible alternative that either one-half of the Kepuhlic must surrender to the so-called Confed- 
eracy, or that blood and treasure must flow in large (juantities for the preservation of the Union. 
The weak-hearted fainted. The cowardly emigrated. The brave quietly, but with firmness and 
determination, took sides for or against their country. Many of the more heroic at once volun- 
t p rily left the plow in the furrow, the tools in the work-shop, the goods on the counter, the pen 
in the office, and hurried away to the post of duty. Airiong the hundreds of thousands who thus 
went to the front at the first call of patriotism, was a simple, rjuiet, modest clerk in a leather 
store of a neighboring city — nothwithstanding he had a family on his hands with little means of 
support, but with priceless treasures of mind and heart not then revealed to his nearest neighbors. 
For ten months but little was heard of him. Men who had proved their capacity for leadership 
in any former war were either too old for active duty or in sympathy with the- rebfds. All were 
therefore looking for a coming leader, but none suspected the Galena clerk. 

Washington and the Potomac, Richmond and the James were the great, theaters of action. 
Time rolled on. Expected victories failed to be realized. Disappointments and defeats became 
more frequent and disastrous. Many brave men lost all hope, save in the God of battles through 
the efficacy of prayer. By and by the Galena clerk was given a command and allowed to venture 
out in the dead of winter. He boldly struck the rebels in their fortifications, and in (piick suc- 
cession Forts Henry and Donelson surrendered with many thousands of prisoners. The news 
came like claps of thunder from a clear sky. The people of the West began to feel they had at 
last found the coming leader. But his capacity for commanding a large army or several armies 
in combination was not yet demonstrated, and by many denied. Then followed the great battle 
of Shiloh, against one of the ablest and most skillful leaders of the enemy, and, although victori- 
ous, yet the price paid left the question of his capacity for great deeds still debatable. But the 
campaigns that followed in the face of cruel criticisms, especially that of Vicksburg and Chatta- 
nooga, settled the question in the West, and with many in the East. Finally, called by Congress 
and the President to take command of all the Union armies, he moved forward with a simplicity 
of manner, a singleness of purpose and a firmness of tread, indicative of a clear perception of 
what ouglit to be done and a conscious ability to do it. This purpose was pursued with an 
unyielding pertinacity to the very end. With an abiding confidence in the rank and file of his 
army, and an unselfish generosity toward all his subordinates, he moved forward like one born to 
conquer, and by continually pressing the enemy along all the lines and in every quarter he was 
within a year enabled to force a complete surrender on his own terms. 

Having restored peace to his shattered country, he returned to Washington and his home, 
not as an ambitious conqueror, anxious for the applause of men and exaltation at the hands of 
his countrymen, but as a simple, quiet citizen, fully satisfied with having performed the duties 
which, under an overruling Providence, he had been called upon to do. The same singleness of 
purpose and unyielding pertinacity which crowned his military efforts with glory and honor, 
marked his career as a civil magistrate. 

But twenty years have elapsed since peace was restored, and the men comprising the two 
armies returned to their respective homes and to the ordinary avocations of life. Twenty years 
have elapsed since the kind-hearted and magnanimous Lincoln fell a victim to cruel hate. Em- 
blematic of a better future, to-day ex-Confederate and Union soldiers join in the mournful 
procession and bow over the grave of him who did so much to restore the nation as a permanent 
blessing to all the people thereof; to the new South as well as the North, and to the posterity of 
both. So it is not always true that the people are fickle, nor that republics are ungmtifid I'.iit 



l64 niOCKAI'llHAI, DICIIONAKV AND I'ORTKAir C.AI.I.KKV Ol' TIIK 



wliat wcic llic (|u.illlics (li head and lirait wliicli, uiuler such peculiar circumstances could thus 
challuu^c llic adnuialiim <il all his countrymen and the great and good throughout the civilized 
world? Wiihoiil suiruiciit property to supply the ordinary wants of his family, without any 
iiillucntial liiinds except as attracted by his genius, without any special gifts of speech or of 
language, willmut any ul the (jualities which the world calls brilliant, he rose, nevertheless, in 
four years from absolute obscurity to the vrry highest pinnacle of military fame. This was not 
the result of mere luck or accident. Ihc numerous victories achieved were never secured by 
mere tenacity of purpose. The contest was one of brains as well as valor. Witli a contempt for 
all pretence or military blandishments; with an abhorrence for mere newspaper notoriety, evidenced 
by his exclusion from the lines of all newspaper correspondents; with a singleness of purpose to 
capture or destroy the enemy in front of him, which was never frustrated, even, for his own per- 
sonal rojjutation or advancement; with prescience capable of seeing things in advance in their 
true relations; with an accuracy of reason and a largeness of comprehension seldom present in 
the midst of great excitement; with a cool deliberation incapable of being disturbed by the 
severest shock of battle; with the capacity for adapting adequate means to appropriate ends! 
with a decision of character and a fearlessness in taking upon himself grave responsibilities seldom 
equaled; witli a reticence which never in advance revealed his plan of battle; with a confidence 
in the wisdom of his conclusions which at times was perfectly sublime; with an unyielding per- 
sistency in carrying all his plans into complete execution, — he was, from the very nature of things, 
almost irresistible in every battle in which he was engaged. With an individuality distinctly 
marked; with a make-up and methods peculiarly his own; with a character unique and incom- 
parable, he seems to have been created and especially trained by Almighty God for the great 
deeds whicli he did and for the doing of which his name will go forward with Lincoln's and 
Washington's to the remotest generation. 

But we are not to l)lindly worship General Grant nor any human being, lie had f.iults 
which were ratlical. In some directions he transcended in greatness any of his countrymen, living 
or dead. In otiier directions he was surpassed by many. On his return from his trip around the 
worhl, had lie gone into absolute retirement from all business and politics, his life work would 
undoubtedly have been far more satisfactory to himself, and if possible more highly appreciated 
by his countrymen. The great mistakes of his life consisted in blindly trusting occasionally in some 
unworthy of becoming his associates and who, when fully revealed, were found to be scoundrels 
in the disguise of friimils, feeding upon his credulity and fattening upon his great reputation. 
But notwithstanding this weakness the verdict is unanimous. He was absolutely without duplic- 
ity or guile, thoroughly sincere, strictly honest, uncommonly generous and grandly magnanimous. 
From all this we may learn that above every citizen, above the wisest magistrate, above the 
greatest hero, above the grandest potentate on earth there is one ever living and true God pre- 
siding over the destinies of nations and peoples; creating by His fiat; shaping with His hands; 
guiding with His finger; chastening through sorrow and af'Hiction; nurturing by His care; winning 
by His love; saving by His grace. Humbly submitting to His eternal laws, reverently seeking 
guidance from His everlasting wisdom, let us as a common brotherhooil seek, by doing His will, 
to finally become citizens of His kingdom, the future republic of the soul. 

I'Chnuiry 21, i860, justice Cassothiy \v;is in;irrii'(l lo Mar\- 1'. .S]);uil(liiiLr, of 
|;mcs\iIU>, Wisconsin. l*"oiir daughters and one son ii;ivt' i)lcssc(l lliis marriage. 
Their names are: I'.lhi .S., now Mi"s. William II. Jacobs, of Denver, ("olofado; Belle 
\''... wile oi (ieori^c II. Wlieelock, of South Bend, Indiana; Anna 1,., now Mfs. Na- 
than Clark, of I )uliilh, Minnesota; h'.ldon J., who is coiiiiecied with the lei^^al 
(lepaii luenl of the .Atehinson, TopeUa i"^- .S;iiit;i l'"e Railroad in (.'iiiiaj^o and who 




^^^^^^ 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OE THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 167 

recently married Miss Sophia Clansen; and Bertha May, now Mrs. Carl Johnson, of 
Madison, Wisconsin. Previous to their marriage, Justice and Mrs. Cassoday be- 
came members of the Congregational Church, and four of- their children are now 
members of that church. While making no ostentatious parade of his religious 
views, our subject endeavors to lead a worthy Christian life. 

Justice Cassoday owes the high position to which he has attained entirely to 
his own exertions. He has, through his ability, steadfastness of purpose and integ- 
rity, advanced to membership of the highest tribunal of his State. His career affords 
a forcible illustration of the power of patience, perseverance and conscientious 
working in enabling a man to surmount and overcome early difficulties and ol)- 
structions of no ordinary kind. 

It is but just and merited praise to say that as a lawyer, Justice Cassoday ranked 
among the ablest of the great West; as a legislator, he was the peer of any of his 
colleagues; as a judge, he is ever honest, painstaking, laborious, courteous, learned 
and strong; as a citizen, he is honorable, prompt and true to every engagement; as 
a husband and father, a model worthy of all imitation. His characteristics are a 
modesty of demeanor, an entire absence of all parade and ostentation and a simple 
dignity, born of innate virtue and self-respect. He has an educated conscience, a 
large heart and a practical sympathy, a tender regard for young men who are 
struggling for an education and a higher life. He is an attractive man personally; 
he has a somewhat deep set, sharp and steady eye, firm lip, strong chin and high, 
well-proportioned forehead; all are outward signs of the rare man, and, with his un- 
tiring industry and a continuation of his present good health, must exercise a marked 
influence in molding and building up the jurisprudence of Wisconsin — a State that 
has been enriched by his example, his character and his labor. 



WOODMAN CLARK HAMILTON, 

FOND DU I.AC. 

''P^O a Student of biography there is nothjng more interesting than to examine 
-L the life history of a self-made man and discover the reasons that enable one 
man. in the battle of life, to surpass many of his boyhood friends who were more 
advantageously endowed at the outset of their career. The subject of this biog- 
raphy has reached an honorable position among the representative men of the 
Northwest through his own exertions, and justly deserves that often misused title, 
"self-made man." 

He was born in Lyme, New Hampshire, February 22, 1834. His father, Irenus 
Hamilton, was a miller and farmer, a man of prominence in the community , and 
served his fellow citizens in the Senate of his State. His ancestors, of Scottish 
origin, were among the early settlers of Connecticut. He died in Lyme, New 
Hampshire, in 1876, aged sixty-eight years. The mother of our subject, Mary 
Esther Hamilton, ncc Kittridge, was a member of a family prominent in matters of 
jurisprudence, her brothers occupying high positions on the bench or at the bar of 
New 1 lampsliirc and Massachusetts. She died in iS^g. 



168 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

After obtaining a preliminary education in the district school, young Hamilton 
attended an academy at Thetford, Vermont, and completed his education at the 
celebrated St. Johnsbury Academy. At nineteen he entered upon his business 
career, becoming an employe of the firm of Fairbanks & Company, scale manufac- 
turers of New York city. For two years he acted as bookkeeper and salesman in 
the establishment of that firm, making himself a valuable cniployc and deserving 
and receiving promotion. 

Reaching man's estate, he became desirous of entering business on his own 
account, and decided to come West. Arriving in the State of Wisconsin in 1855, 
and perceiving the future value of the great tracts of timber lands and the conse- 
quent prosperity of the lumber business in this State, he determined to enter busi- 
ness there. In association with his brother, Irenus K. Hamilton, he began business 
in F"ond du Lac under the firm name of I. K. & W. C. Hamilton. They pur- 
chased pine lands, built a sawmill and began to manufacture lumber, taking the 
timber from the stump. The}' conducted their business upon sound business princi- 
ples, devoting their time and ability to assure success to their enterprise, and their 
efforts were fittingly rewarded. In 1866, Mr. Hamilton and his brother, I. K., formed 
a partnership with A. C. Merryman, under the name of Hamilton, Merryman & Co., 
for the purpose of purchasing pine lands and establishing a lumber manufacturing 
plant at the mouth of the Menominee river. They purchased sixty-odd thousand 
acres of timber land in northern Wisconsin and Michigan, tributary to the Menom- 
inee river and its branches, and began operating a mill at Marinette. They have 
from time to time increased their holdings of timber lands and have since been 
constantly manufacturing lumber. As the business increased in magnitude they 
deemed it advisable to incorporate themselves as a stock company, and accordingly 
the Hamilton & Merryman Company was organized, with a capital stock of three 
hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Its officers are: I. K. Hamilton, president; W. 
C. Hamilton, vice president; and A. C. Merryman, secretary. The company is one 
of the largest and most successful of the immense lumber manufacturing establish- 
ments along the Menominee river. From thirty to forty millions of pine is annu- 
ally turned from timber on the stump to finished lumber at its mills. The product 
is carried by the company's vessels to Chicago, where its large distributing yard is 
located. 

In i8qi Mr. Hamilton became interested in the Marinette and Menominee Paper 
Company. He was elected president of the corporation and immediately laid plans 
to enlarge its business. The capital stock was increased from one hundred and 
seventy-five thousand to seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and a new and 
modern mill, known as the " Park Mill," was erected. The plant has a capacity of 
sixty tons a day, including print, book and manilla papers and ground wood and 
sulphite pulp, manufactured from spruce wood floated down the Menominee river. 
Mr. Hamilton devotes himself almost entirely to the management of this business, 
and its success is largely due to the care with which he supervises its affairs. 

In addition to the business connections cited above he is president of the Ham- 
ilton & Merryman Mining Company, which owns the Hamilton mine, located at 
Iron Mountain, Michigan, and has interests in pine lands in Louisiana. He is also 



RErUESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 169 

a director in the Milwaukee Harvester Company and holds a like position in a 
Chicago bank. 

Politically he affiliates with the R(;publican party, and althouo;h in no sense a 
politician, lends his aid as a citizen to advance the success of Republican principles. 
He has always taken a deep interest in educational matters and has served as pres- 
ident of the Board of Education in F"ond du Lac, and as president of the Board of 
Public Works, also acted as a member of the Board of Aldermen of that city. He 
is a member of the Congregational Church, and has always been active in church 
matters. For the past twelve years he has served as president of the Board of Trus- 
tees of his church, and is now vice-president of Ripon College. He is also a director 
of the Chicago Theological Seminary. In 1891 he was a delegate from Wisconsin 
to the International Council of Congregational Churches, held in London, Eng- 
land. After the council adjourned, he visited P>ance, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, 
Germany, Austria and Holland, and returning to Great Britain traveled over Eng- 
land, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. He has also visited most sections of the United 
States, excepting the extreme western portions. 

In 1858 he married Mary Taylor Weed, daughter of William H. Weed, a New 
York merchant. Six sons have blessed this marriage. William Irenus is engaiJ-ed 
in farming in Fond du Lac county; Charles Woodman is secretary and treasurer of 
the Milwaukee Harvester Company; Stephen Dolson died, aged four and a half 
years, in January, 1868; Herbert Weed is employed by the Marinette & Menominee 
Paper Company at Park Mills; Edgar Lockwood is secretary of the Marinette & 
Menominee Paper Company; and Arthur Little is a student in Phillips Academy at 
Andover, Massachusetts. Mrs. Hamilton is active in church affairs and is inter- 
ested in charitable and benevolent work. 

Mr. Hamilton's career illustrates most forcibly what can be accomplished by 
steady application to business, sobriety and integrity. He has devoted his time to 
business without stint, and has always endeavored to lead a consistent Christian 
life. His success proves most forcibly that constant effort in one direction will 
succeed if combined with steady habits and economy, and to the young man enter- 
ing upon the highway of life a perusal of his biography should serve as an inspira- 
tion and should direct him to the straight path which alone leads to success in life. 



HON. WILLIAM AUGUSTUS PRLNTISS, 

MILWAUKEE. 

THE spirit of self-rc;Hance as exhibited in the energetic action of individuals 
has at all times since the birth of our republic formed a marked feature of 
American character, and furnishes the true measure of our power as a nation. 
Rising above the head of the mass there have always been a series of individuals 
distinguished beyond others who have commanded the homage of their fellow-men, 
and set Ijefore their fellows an example of industry, sobriety aiul upright honesty 
of purpose in lift-, thus having a present as well as a future inlUience upon the well- 



170 UUHIKACUUAl OUriONARV AM> TOKlKAir r.Al I VKV OK lUK 



beinjf of the country, for their lives and characters pass unconsciously into the lives 
of others, propagating' good examples for all time to come. Such a m.ui is lu- 
whose name heads this sketch. William A. Trentiss for over tifty years was an 
honored resident of Milwaukee. His ancestry is traced to Valentine Prentiss, who 
emigrate<l from Kngland in K\,i, and settled with his wife and son at Newton, 
Massachusetts. In after years branches of his family settled in Stonington and 
Norwich. Connecticut, and in the State of Maine. Sargent S. Prentiss, the cele- 
brated orator from Mississippi, was from the Maine branch. George O. Prentiss, 
of the Louisville Journal, came from the Norwich branch, and from the Stonington 
branch are descended the X'ermont Prentiss family, of which was Judge Samuel 
Prentiss, for twelve years United States Senator fron\ X'ermont. and also William 
,\.. the subject of this sketch, who was born in Northtield. Franklin county. Massa- 
chusetts. March J4, iSoo. He was the son of Or. Samuel Prentiss. His mother's 
name before marriage was Lucretia Holmes, His grandfather was a Colonel of 
Connecticut volunteers during the Revolutionary war, and his father was a surgeon 
of the same regiment. 

In iSio. at the age of sixteen years, William left hon\e .uui went to Cooperstown, 
New York, where his elder brother, John H.. resided, and there entered a large 
store to learn the nxercantile business. In 1817 he returned home and became clerk 
for the mercantile house of Pomeroy. Prior iS: Brown, Northtield, Massachusetts, 
remaining with them until iS.;.;, when he moved to Montpelier, X'ermont, where he 
first began business for himself. From there he removed to Chittenden county, 
in the same State, where he remained in trade till his removal to Milwaukee in 
1S30. louring the years of his early manhood, while a resident of X'ermont, he re- 
ceived many proofs of the esteem and contidence of his fellow-citizens. He was 
elected chairman of the Board of Selectmen, and Overseer of the Poor for eight 
successive years. He was also a Justice of the Peace for several years, and a mem- 
ber of the Vermont Legislature in iS.;*.). 

Mr. Prentiss' career in Milwaukee dates from June. i8j;o. At that time there 
were less than fifty white families within a radius of fifty miles of the site of the 
present city. In July of that year he formed a copartnership with Dr. Lemuel XX'. 
Weeks, and commenced trading in general merchandise in a rough board building, 
twenty by forty feet, situated on what is now East XX'ater street. The copartner- 
ship existed nearly two years, when Mr. Prentiss withdrew from the firm and for 
manv years was employed almost constantly by the then very responsible duties of 
lustice of the Peace, to which office he was appointtxl in 1S37 by Governor Dodge. 
The office gave both civil and criminal jurisdiction over Milwaukee county, which 
at that time comprised the area of country now embraced in the counties of Mil- 
waukee. XX'aukesha, Ozaukee, XX'ashington, Jefferson, and a part of Dodge county. 
He held this otttce until the organization of the State in 1S4S. In March, 1837. he 
was elected, and serveil for three years, as the chairman of the Boarvl of County 
Commissioners, In August, 1S3S, he was elected for a term of four years as a 
member of the Council. ^he upper branch of the Territorial Legislature. He serveil 
the full term, being elected president of that Knly during the session of 1840. The 
experience of himself ami colleagues on the first journey to Madison, to attend the 



RKI'RKSENTAI-IVK MKN OK IMi: UNITEI) STATKS; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 171 



session of iS;,S, shows an inlcrcsliiijjf contrast to the coMvcnicnccs vonclisafcd to iIk; 
solons of t()-(la\'. The party, live in nuniher, Mr. Pr(;ntiss and Uanicl Weils, Jr., 
Iicin^r ni( inlxrs fioni Milwaiikcx-, left tiic city Noveml)er 24, 1838, with a two-horse 
team and an open wat^on. The wcatlier was extremely cold, and the Milwaukee 
river was frozen over solid enoup^h (or foot passenf^^ers to cross, but was ncjt yet 
considered safe for teams. The horses wi-.rr. taken over sin^dy, the waj^on hauled 
by hand, the lejrisiators makin^r the passaj^e on foot. TIu;y stopped over nij^ht in 
a small lo^r house at Mefiuaraj^o. The next day they crossed Rock riv(;r four miles 
from where janesville now stands. Two miles from this point thc;y spent the 
second nij^dii in anotht-r lo^r house, standinj^r S(jlitary and alone in the wilderness. 
The next morning they set out for Madison, forty miles distant , arrivin^r there; at 
half past ten in the evening, and at once engaged board and lodging for them- 
selves for the term of the session. The cajjitol building was not yet ready for 
occupancy, and the sessions for the (irst few weeks, until it was completed, were 
held at the old American House;. 'I'Ik; House of Re()resentatives occupied the 
dining room in the basement, and the Council held its sessions in the sitting-room 
al)0\ c. 

In 1S37 Mr. I'rtMitiss was chos(Mi a nu'mberol the first l.oard of Trustees of the 
village of "Milwauk(;e on the Mast .Side," which had been incorporated during that 
year. The West .Side also organized as a village abcnit the same time. 

In 1839, by act of the Territorial Legislature, of which Messrs. Prentiss and 
Wells were members, these two towns were consolidat(.-d. l'"or nearly the whole 
period of the town's existence Mr. Prentiss continued to represent his ward on the 
Board of Trustees, serving several years as chairman. Since 1846, when Milwau- 
kee became a city, he served in both branches of the city government, and was 
elected Mayor in 1858. He was elected to the State Assembly in 1866, and re- 
elected in 1867. 11(; continued to be connected with the city government- as a 
member of the council till as late as 1872. From that time until his death, which 
occurred November 10, 1892, at the venerable age of ninety-two years, he kept 
aloof from public life, devoting the latter years of his life to his jicrsonal affairs. 

I Ic was more closely and continuously connected with the municipal affairs of 
Milwaukee, during the period of its existence until his retirement from active busi- 
n(;ss, than any other citizen, and justly ranks as one of the city fathers. 

In i)olitics Mr. iVentiss was originally an old-line Whig, and in later years a 
stanch and loyal Republican. He was the coldest person in attendance at the Chi- 
cago Republican convention in 1888, and was a striking figure there. He was prac- 
tically the founder of the Pioneer Association, which was foruK-d in 1877, as an out- 
growth of the original "(Jld .Settlers' Club." He took an active part in all the 
gatherings (jf his pioneer associates, and the last time he appear(;d in public was at 
their anmial banciuet at the Plankinton House, P'ebruary 23, i8gi. Mr. Prentiss 
was married September 11, 1833, to Miss Eliza .Sands, of Saco, Maine, who died in 
Milwaukee in 1857. By this union he had six children, three sons and three daugh- 
ters. ( )iie sou and om- daughter died in 187J, and another son, (jeorge E., has died 
since that lime. In iiis early years Mr. Prentiss studied law ;ind devoted some; 



172 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

time to the practice of that profession. He was also at a later period executor of 
many of the largest estates in Wisconsin and Illinois. 

Such is the brief outline of the career of one of Wisconsin's most eminent citi- 
zens. The extreme veneration in which his name is held by all who knew him is 
founded not merely on the fact that he won success, but because that success came 
to him through honorable and upright methods. 

The mark left by William A. Prentiss upon the chosen city and State of his 
home will not soon be effaced, and his record will ever hold a place in the history 
of Wisconsin's most honored pioneers. 

He had rounded the Psalmist's span of three-score years and ten with his men- 
tal and physical vigor unimpaired, overcoming the ordinary and usual cares and 
weaknesses of age by active interest and participation in the living issues and con- 
tests of the day. Surrounded at his home by those who, without regard to party, 
were his warm personal friends, and revered throughout the State by hosts of men 
who had become attached to him through nearly half a century of political war- 
fare, the career of William A. Prentiss is a striking exemplification of the preserva- 
tive and conservative tendencies of politics. Not so abnormally developed in any 
direction as to be called a genius, he was the strongest because the best balanced, 
the most even and self-masterful of men, and one who in his day and generation 
acted so well his part as public officer and private citizen that in the years to come 
the immortal brightness of his virtue and fidelity will cause his name to be enrolled, 
foremost and lustrous, on the annals of Wisconsin — a State that has been enriched 
by his example, his character, and his labor. 



CHRISTIAN S. OTJEN, 

MILWAUKEE. 

CHRISTIAN S. OTJEN, reared among humble surroundings, has risen step by 
step to a most responsible and exacting position. His advancement has been 
the result of pure merit; hard, skillful and painstaking work is the secret of his 
success. 

His father, a native of Oldenburg, Germany, settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the 
early forties, but soon after removed to St. Clair county, Michigan, where he be- 
came a successful farmer. Here the subject of this sketch, the fourth of a family 
of seven children, was born May 24, 1846. 

The influence which molded his later life came mostly from others than his 
parents, for his mother died while he was yet young, and soon after, at the ao-e of 
ten, he went to live with an uncle, a farmer. His education in some respects fell 
short of what the public schools now afford, but it was of an exceedingly practical 
kind. He attended school during the winter months, and later enjoyed a two-years' 
course in a private academy at Marine City, Michigan. At the age of fourteen he 
hired out to Daniel Lsach, and a year later when Mr. Leach entered the Tenth 
Regiment, Michigan Infantry, as First Lieutenant, he was left to mana^re the farm 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 173 

of sixty acres. Having promised Mr. Leach to look after the interests of the farm, 
he arose early every morning, doing all the chores before the hired help began 
work, and in many other ways showed his faithfulness to his employer. But Mr. 
Leach having died soon after the battle of Shiloh, young Otjen was released from 
his trust, and upon settling up with Mrs. Leach, received four dollars and ninety-six 
cents. He was obliged to expend this for a pair of boots, and thus found himself 
square with the world. 

It was now a time of trial for him. Penniless and out of employment, he knew 
not whither to turn. I-'inally learning that Miss Emily Ward, who conducted a 
private school at Marine City, wanted a good, strong boy to do chores and work her 
garden of five acres, he applied for the place, and showed his persistence by wait- 
ing three hours for an interview; but he has never regretted it, for to this day he 
considers this incident in his life providential, as he found in Miss Ward all that a 
mother could be to her son. Before being given a trial he was required to promise 
to remain at home nights and to attend church on Sundays. This promise he 
faithfully kept during his three years' stay with Miss Ward, working in the summer 
and attending the academy in winter. 

In 1865 at the age of nineteen, he began work in the iron works at Wyandotte, 
Michigan, established by Miss Ward's brother, Captain E. B. Ward. His first work 
was shoveling iron ore in the hull of a vessel. An experimental Bessemer steel 
plant had been established, and he assisted in making the first good steel manufac- 
tured in this country. Three heats a day was considered very good work in those 
days, and blowing steel was more an experiment than an art. In 1867 he removed 
to Milwaukee, where Captain Ward had established another large plant, known as 
the Milwaukee Iron Company's Works. Here Mr. Otjen was given charge of the 
unloading of all the material received by the company. From this time on, his 
advancement was rapid. 

In 1870 he was appointed superintendent of the works, succeeding Mr. Potter, 
resigned, and held that position until the company failed, in 1876, with the excep- 
tion of two years, when Mr. Durfee filled the place. Later, when the works were 
leased by Mr. J. J. Hagerman and others, he managed the mills for them, and finally 
when the North Chicago Rolling Mill Company bought the plant, he was appointed 
superintendent of the rail mill and fish-plate mill. He continued in this capacity 
until 1889, when he was api)ointed acting superintendent of the entire works, and 
in the following year became superintendent, which position he now holds. 

An idea of the great responsibility devolving upon him may be gained from 
the fact that the Bay View Rolling Mills is one of the five plants owned by the Illi- 
nois .Steel Company, whose capital aggregates $5o,ocx),ooo and whose annual 
product at Bay \'iew alone amounts to $5,000,000 and requires the services of 1,600 
men. His efficient management and particularly his fairness are conceded by all, 
and have gained for him great influence wqth the mill men. 

As a citizen Mr. Otjen has always taken a deep and active interest in all mat- 
ters pertaining to the welfare of Bay View. No ten men have done as much for its 
development as he. He has been, and is, closely identified with every important 
jniblic enterprise. In i88_^ he formed a partnership with his brother, Theobald, in 



174 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



the real-estate business, and from that and other sources, has accumuhited consider- 
able wealth, which he expends liberally in developing the city. 

He has always voted the Republican ticket, but his business interests have not 
permitted him to hold office to any extent. He was School Clerk of Bay View for 
eleven years; was Town Treasurer one year, and School Commissioner of the 
seventeenth ward of Milwaukee for a like period. 

He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, has been trustee for 
many years, and has generously contributed to its support. He is also a member 
of the Royal Arcanum. He is generous to a fault; no one ever appeals to him in 
vain in behalf of a worthy cause. 

Mr. Otjen is simple in his manners and habits, unostentatious in his social rela- 
tions, and is very fond of domestic life. 

April 5, 1870, he married Miss Annie McNickle, who shares with him the com- 
forts and pleasures of their happy home, over which she presides with dignity and 
grace. 



HON. JOSHUA STARK, 

MILWAUKEE. 

AMONG the hopeful youg men who came to Milwaukee during the first twenty 
years of its existence was Joshua Stark, a descendant of a family well-known 
in New England, where he was born at Brattleboro, Vermont, August 12, 1828, the 
son of Rev. J. L. and Hannah G. Stark, both of whom were natives of Bozrah, Con- 
necticut. They removed to Canajoharie, New York, in the spring of 1839, and 
three years later to the village of Mohawk, where the son commenced his education 
and was prepared for college by a proper academical course. He entered Union 
College, Schnectady, in the spring of 1846, joining the sophomore class. From Jan- 
uary, 1847, to January, 1848, he was employed as a tutor in the family of Edward C. 
Marshall, in Fauquier county, Virginia ; but the love of learning and ambition for 
success were so strong upon him that he pursued his studies during this time and 
kept up so well that upon examination he was permitted to resume his standing and 
graduate, in 1848, with his class. In the fall of that year he made arrangements to 
go to west Maryland to teach a classical school, but because of the unexpected 
death of an elder brother, was induced to forego that purpose and to enter the law 
office of J. N. & D. Lake, at Little Falls. New York. While applying himself to 
his legal studies with the industry that has ever been a characteristic of his life, he 
was compelled to devote a portion of his time to other work as a means of mainte- 
nance, and was for a time an assistant instructor in an academy, village clerk, and 
town superintendent of schools. He was admitted to the bar by the Supreme 
Court of New York, at the general term at Watertown, in July, 1850. 

While revolving in his mind the question of location, the suggestion was made 
that the West was the proper place for a young man of energy and brains ; and 
after due consideration he concluded to adopt Horace Greeley's advice before it 



kK.rKKSKNTAIIVK MKN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 177 

was <^iven. With a few books and a little money he set forth in the fall of the year 
last named with Milwaukee as the point of destination. Proceedinir by rail to Buf- 
falo, thence by boat to Detroit, across Michigan to New Buffalo by rail, the rest of 
the journey was made by boat, and terminated on October 6. By the advice of 
people he had known in early youth, he did not locate immediately in Milwaukee, 
but proceeded to Cedarburg and formed a partnership with F. W. Horn, the ex- 
pectation being that the acquaintance of that gentleman would bring business, 
which the legal knowledge of the junior partner would enable him to properly 
transact. Like many other theories, this proved a failure when reduced to prac- 
tice, or rather a lamented lack of practice, for the clients failed to come. A long 
and weary winter ensued, relieved not even by the presence of his partner, who 
was absent in the State Legislature. Mr. Stark had more courage than cash, and 
when he saw that the practice of the firm was not sufficient for the payment of 
board, he indulged in some deep reflections as to the best course to pursue. That 
winter he devoted his leisure time, which comprised nearly every hour, to the study 
of the German language and in making up the deficiency he felt in knowledge of 
chancery practice and the principles of equity jurisprudence. He successfully over- 
came the difficulties of the German language, of which he soon became a master, 
and soon became so well grounded in the knowledge of that language that even 
the Germans themselves would not suspect his origin from his speech. So fluently 
did he read and speak German that at the Fourth of July celebration held in Mil- 
waukee, in 1852, he was chosen by the Germans to read the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence in German, in prefererce to the selection of one of their own number. 

Mr. Stark moved to Milwaukee on May iq, 1851. He soon won such standing 
among the people that in the spring of 1853 he was elected to the office of City At- 
torney, holding the position for one year and serving to the satisfaction of the peo- 
ple. In November, 1S55, he was chosen as the Democratic representative of the 
first ward of Milwaukee to the General Assembly for the session of 1856. He was 
made chairman of the committee on judiciary, and a member of the committee on 
banking, and although the second youngest member of the body, was chosen the 
speaker pro tcm., in which capacity he presided during a large portion of the ad- 
journed session in the fall. During the regular session, the gubernatorial contest 
between Messrs. Bashford and Barstow came before the Legislature and the Su- 
preme Court. Mr. Stark refused to join in any resistance to the decision of that 
court, and materially aided in preventing a serious collision of opposing parties. 

Near the opening of the regular session, a communication from the holders of 
scrip issued by the .State " for the construction of the Fox and Wisconsin river im- 
provement had brought to the notice of the Legislature the fact that the improve- 
ment company, to which the State had in 1853 transferred the improvement and 
the Congressional grant of land in its aid — upon condition that said company 
should pay the indebtedness of the State incurred on account of the work — had 
neglected to comply with this condition, and had permitted coupons for interest to 
be protested for non-payment, and the credit of the State to be seriously preju- 
diced." The matter was referred to a select committee of the Assembly, of which 
Mr. Stark was chairman. Charges of other delinquencies and misconduct on the 



178 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

part of the Improvement Company were presented durinir the session, and were 
referred to the same committee. The committee soon discovered that the ques- 
tions involved were too important and complicated to be disposed of upon a super- 
ficial examination, and on its recommendation it was instructed to investii^ate the 
subject thoroughly during the recess and report at the adjourned session of the 
Legislature to be held in October of the same year. 

As the result, the Legislature passed a bill reported by the committee, at the 
October session, by which the prompt payment of the indebtedness of the State in 
question was fully secured, and the abuses complained of were corrected. In this 
matter, Mr. Stark as the active and efificient head of the committee, and the 
author of the bill referred to, randered a service of great value to the State, and 
exhibited a high order of ability as a legislator. 

In 1856 Congress made a grant of land to the State of Wisconsin for railroad 
purposes, and the disposition of these lands was one of the leading questions under 
discussion in the adjourned session. The scandals that grew out of those matters 
need not be referred to here, except to make record of the fact that Mr. Stark 
came out of the whole matter untouched by any taint of acceptance of railroad 
bonds, and that his share in all the transactions was shown to have been honora- 
ble and above suspicion by the committee of investigation in 1858. 

In the fall of i860 Mr. Stark was again called to a position of public responsi- 
bility by an election to the office of District Attorney, which he held through 1861 
and 1862. At the outset of his term he found the course of criminal justice blocked 
by a conflict of opinion between the judges of the municipal and the circuit courts. 
The municipal court had only been established in 1859, and there was no express 
statute directing to what court indictments found therein should be sent for trial, 
when removed upon affidavit that the judge was prejudiced. Certain indictments 
had been so removed to the circuit court of Milwaukee county for trial. 

When these indictments were moved for trial in the circuit court, Mr. Stark 
was met by defendant's counsel with the objection that the circuit court had no 
jurisdiction, since, as was contendeci, the statute only authorized the removal of 
criminal indictments from the municipal court to another county and not to an- 
other court in the same county, for trial. This disagreement of the judges arrested 
all prosecution for high crimes, and threatened serious consequences. In this di- 
lemma Mr. Stark applied immediately to the supreme court for a mandamus to 
compel the circuit judge to proceed to the trial of the indictments in question. The 
matter was pressed to a speedy hearing, the important constitutional question in- 
volved being ably argued by Mr. Stark. The result was an early decision sustain- 
ing the jurisdiction of the circuit court, and commanding its Judge to proceed with 
the hearing of the cases. 

In 1862 Mr. Stark, as District Attorney, was enabled to perform a service to the 
public of no small vualue. In that year the State supreme court, all the judges 
concurring, held in a case that was appealed from Milwaukee county, that the act 
of the Legislature, passed in 1854, requiring railroad companies to pay into the State 
treasury a percentage of their gross earnings, in lieu of taxes, and exempting their 



RErKESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 1 79 

property iiseJ for o|).^ratiiij; th -ir ro:rls from taxation, either sj^eneral or local, was 
unconstitutional and that all taxes throu<rhout the State, which were affected by 
the omission of such railroad property from the tax rolls, jiursuant to said act, were 
void by reason of such omission. The decision affected the taxes of several years, 
and threatened to be very embarrassing in its consequences. Mr. Stark, as District 
Attorney, representing the losing party, moved for a rehearing, and so vigorously 
attacked the decision, urging the application of the doctrma oi s/are decisis, upon the 
strength of an unreported decision of the supreme court, in 1855, sustaining the act, 
that the judges were constrained to order a rehearing, and upon further considera- 
tion to confirm the constitutionality of the act in question. 

In 1873 ^I''- Stark undertook for the city the revision and consolidation of its 
charter, with its numerous amendments, covering a period of twenty-one years, and 
also of the general ordinances adopted during a longer period. This work was 
mainly done out of business hours. When completed, his services were further re- 
quired to frame amendments proposed by the city council, making changes of a 
radical character in the municipal government. The whole task was of the most 
exacting character, requiring great legal knowledge, untiring patience, severe labor 
and sound judgment ; and the manner in which it was completed by Mr. Stark 
showed him to be the possessor of these diverse requirements. 

Any recital of Mr. Stark's public labors that did not give prominence to his 
work in connection with the public schools of Milwaukee, and do full justice thereto, 
would be very incomplete. In September, 1871, he was made a member of the 
School Board for the seventh ward. In June, 1873, he was compelled to resign the 
position because of outside work, but resumed it in April, 1874, and continued stead- 
ily in the work until the summer of 1884. In the spring of 1875 he was elected 
president of the board, and held the ofifice by successive elections until the close of 
his connection with the schools. His thorough education, early experience in school 
work, and sound business sense, made him of great use to the schools, and enabled 
him to administer his duties to the best interests of all concerned. 

As president of the School Board Mr. Stark was '•'' officio a member of the com- 
mittee on high schools and of the board having control of the public library. He 
gave an efticient and earnest service to both of these important institutions. He 
kept a vigilant eye upon the entire school system while at its head, and had no 
small influence in directing the policy and work of the board. It was, therefore, 
with no small degree of regret that the public learned early in 1884 that, in obedi- 
ence to the demands of his private affairs, Mr. Stark was compelled to sever the 
connection he had so long held with the public schools. There was not only no lack 
of private expressions of regret at this decision, but the general feeling took such 
public action and shape that the recipient thereof could but feel that his willing ser- 
vices had been observed and appreciated. When his decision was made known to 
the board, its opinion of his work was expressed in a series of resolutions. The 
teachers of the schools felt that in the departure of Mr. Stark from the board they 
had lost one of their most valued advisors and truest friends. They united in the 
preparation of a series of resolutions which, like those of the board, were hand- 
somely engrossed and framed before presentation. In this expression of their feel- 



l8o BIOGRAPMICAI, DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 

ings the teachers declared that in his retirement from the board the public school 
system of the city had "lost one of its strongest and ablest supporters ; one whose 
character and attainments made him a most worthy champion, and whose enlight- 
ened judgment and broad views constitute him one of the foremost advocates of 
every true educational reform. * * * Especially have you deserved and secured 
our confidence and esteem through your unflagging efforts to ennoble the work of 
the teacher and lift it to the dignity of a profession." Mr. Stark was also tendered 
a testimonial reception at the Normal School. building, where teachers, members of 
the board and many others met him, and in short and pointed speeches touched 
upon the value of his school work. He was also presented with a life-membership 
in the National Teachers' Association. The evening of June g saw at the Plank- 
ington House an even more marked and general tribute to the retiring president, 
in the shape of a banquet tendered Mr. Stark by prominent educators and profes- 
sional and business men generally. 

Mr. Stark has served the people in many ways other than those enumerated 
above. He was one of the charter members of the Milwaukee Bethel Union, and 
one of its directors through a number of years. In 188,3 he was elected president of 
the Milwaukee Bar Association, which position he yet holds. He has had an active 
part in various associations for the advance of music, art and education, where his 
fine natural taste and culture have been made instruments for the general good. 
He was for some years a director in the Milwaukee Musical Society, and is yet one 
of its contributing members. In 1885 the Legislature provided for the creation of 
a commission to examine all candidates for admission to the bar, with the excep- 
tion of the graduates of the law school, appointments to the commission to be made 
by the Judges of the Supreme Court. Mr. Stark was one of the original appointees 
and is still a member of the commission. They hold such examinations as they 
deem best, and the result of their labors has been to prevent the admission of un- 
worthy or incompetent men. Although Mr. Stark was not in the military service 
during the war of the Rebellion, he loyally gave his aid to keep alive the courage and 
patriotism of the North, attending war meetings and doing all that lay in his power 
for the good of the cause. 

Among the important suits in the law courts with which Mr. Stark has been 
connected, mention may be made of the case of the Northern Transit Company 7's. 
The Grand Trunk Railway Company, in which he was associated in the defense 
with Hon. G. W. Hazelton. The action was brought to recover $250,000 damages 
for breach of contract for interchange of traffic during che years 1879 and 1880. 
Upon the first trial the jury assessed the plaintiff's damages at something over 
$112,000. The verdict being set aside as excessive, a second trial was had, lasting 
nearly five weeks. Mr. Stark went to work upon the second trial with a determin- 
ation to work down to the facts of the case. By a thorough scrutiny of plaintiff's 
books of accounts and documents during the progress of the trial, he was able to 
demonstrate that the greater part of plaintiff's pretended losses were fictitious, and 
the recovery was red^uced to less than $10,000, including interest. 

Mr. Stark's preference has alwaj's been for the department of equity, and in that 
branch of the practice he has been mainly employed, and has therein won his chief 




^^^^-"""'^ 




KEl'RESENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 183 

victories. The well-known cases of Noesen vs. the Supervisors of Port Washing- 
ton, 37 Wisconsin, i68; Odell z's. Rogers & Burnham, 44 Wisconsin, 136; and 61 
Wisconsin, 562 ; and Wells vs. McGeoch, State of Wisconsin j's. McFetridge, et al., 
and thesuits brought to determine the construction of the wills of the late Thomas 
M. Knox, 59 Wisconsin, 172; and N. B. Caswell, 63 Wisconsin, 529; are among the 
most important litigations upon which he has expended his best energies during the 
last fifteen years. All of the above named cases have been before the supreme court 
of the State, whose reported decisions bear testimony to the difficulty and import- 
ance of the questions involved, and the industry and ability displayed in their dis- 
cussion. 

In adtlition to the natural sub-stratum of ability, without which the success 
which Mr. Stark has obtained could not have been possible, he is endowed with the 
quality of thoroughness and a persistent energy that fears no labor. When his ser- 
vices are enlisted in a case, he works upon it day and night, if necessary, without 
regard to the pay that is to be secured or the amount that may be involved. He is 
shrewd and astute, and no case can be so complicated but that he will solve it. 
" He understands bookkeeping and figures better than a bookkeeper." He is es- 
pecially strong in equity cases, is a great reader, and yet regards law as a science 
that cannot be altogether learned from books. He prepares his cases with the 
greatest care, and before going into court understands all the dangers and possibil- 
ities which he may be called upon to confront. As a man and citizen he possesses 
the highest regard of all who know him. His personal life is without reproach, and 
liis home and family relations are of the happiest and most harmonious character. 
His generous deeds are performed without ostentation but in abundance, and there 
are very many whose loads have been lightened and way made more peaceful and 
secure because of his hearty sympathy and generous aid. 



JOHN JOHNSTON, 

MILWAUKEE. 

A BIOGRAPHICAL record of the representative men of Wisconsin would be 
incomplete and unsatisfactory without a personal and somewhat extended 
mention of those whose lives are interwoven so closely with the industrial and finan- 
cial development of the State. When a man, or a select number of men, have set 
in motion the occult machinery of business which materializes into a thousand 
forms of practical utility or where they have carved out a name from the common 
possibilities open for conipetition to all, there is a public desire, which should be 
gratified, to see the men, as nearly as a portrait and word-artist can paint them, and 
examine the elements of mind and the circumstances by which such results have 
been achieved. Mr. Johnston has for many years been prominent in the commer- 
cial and financial history of Wisconsin, and probably no resident of Milwaukee is as 
widely or as favorably known as he. 

He was born on the farm, " Overtown of Auchnagatt," Aberdeenshire, Scot- 



184 JUOGRAI'HILAl. DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY (.)¥ THE 

land. June 8, 1836. His father, George Johnston, was by occupation a farmer and 
tilled the soil of " Overtown," which for over 200 years has been occupied by the 
Johnston family. (Mr. Johnston has in his possession leases upon the estate exe- 
cuted to a John Johnston in 1750.) The mother of our subject, Margaret • (Mitch- 
ell) Johnston, was also a native of Aberdeenshire, and a sister of the late Alexander 
Mitchell, of Milwaukee. 

After attending the ordinary public school until his twelfth year, the boy was 
sent to the Aberdeen grammar school. At the age of fifteen he won a scholarship 
in the University of Aberdeen, in competition with over 200 young men, all ambi- 
tious to gain the coveted prize. After a four years' course, he was graduated in 
1855 ,with honor, and with the degree of Master of Arts. 

On the loth of March, 1856, Mr. Johnston arrived in Milwaukee and became an 
employe of the Wisconsin Marine and Fire Insurance Company Bank, of which his 
uncle, the late Alexander Mitchell, was the sole owner. In 1864 he was appointed 
assistant cashier of the bank, and occupied that position until Mr. Mitchell's death 
in 1887. Mr. Mitchell bequeathed the bank to his son, John L.Mitchell, David Fer- 
guson and Mr. Johnston in equal shares, and Mr. Johnston became cashier of the 
institution, which he successfully conducted. In the fall of 1892, he sold out his in- 
terest to John L. Mitchell, and intended passing a few years in travel and rest. The 
panic of 1893 caused a temporary suspension of the bank. Under a special act of 
the Legislature, each individual stockholder was liable for the entire indebtedness 
of the bank, and this liability continued for a length of time after a stockholder had 
disposed of his interest. The term of limitation had not expired when the bank 
suspended, and though advised by some of the ablest lawyers of the State that the 
act by which he was held liable was unconstitutional, Mr. Johnston never for an in- 
stant thought of taking advantage of the legal advice tendered, but turned over half 
a million of dollars in property to assist in re-establishing the bank and in securing 
the depositors. The institution was reorganized by some forty business men sub- 
scribing new capital, and upon its reorganization Mr. Johnston was re-elected its 
cashier. 

Mr. Johnston has always taken an active part in public affairs, and being a good 
speaker and ready writer his name often appears in the history of the city and State 
of his adoption. In politics he was a Republican before and during the war, and 
voted both times for Abraham Lincoln, but on the question of reconstruction he 
could not endorse the radical measures of Thaddeus Stevens. 

He acted as private secretary to Alexander Mitchell during the latter's career, 
and assisted him with all his private matters, gathering data and writing speeches 
for him, and in fact was consulted in regard to nearly all of Mr. Mitchell's public or 
private acts. He has always taken a deep interest in literary work, and has written 
numerous articles that have attracted extended attention. He wrote the descrip- 
tions of Milwaukee published in the Encyclopedia Brittanica, which contributions, 
however, were very much cut down; and in Johnson's Encyclopedia; the article on 
Scotland in Lalor's Encyclopedia of Political Science; and the article on Curling in 
Johnson's Encyclopedig^. About twenty-five years ago he secured the prize offered 
by the ('urran Literary Society for the best essay on "Aristocracy." He delivered 



RKPRESENTATIVK MKN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 1 85 



a lecture, entitled '" Honest Money," before the working men of Bay View, and the 
Honest Money Leafjjue of the Northw(;st published and distributed 100,000 copies 
thereof. 

He has represented Milwaukee at commercial gatherin<rs in Detroit, Chicago, 
Cincinnati, Washington and other places, and also represented the Milwaukee 
Chamber of Commerce at the opening of the Chicago Board of Trade, and also at 
the Pan-American banquet. He made the speech nominating the present Governor 
of Wisconsin, George W. Peck, at the .State Democratic convention of 1890. He 
has been active in the encouragement of many sports and healthy outdoor games,— 
especially long-range rifle shooting, curling, quoiting and ten-pins. 

When on a visit to Europe, in 1878, he won the championship of the north of 
.Scotland at the Wapinschaw, held in Aberdeen in June of that year, in a rifle con- 
test at Sod, 900 and i.ooo yards. In July of the same year, he competed in a contest 
open to the world, at Wimbledon, and took eleventh place. He has been the victor 
in many a hard-fought " bonspiel " upon the icy board, both in the United States 
and Canada. He was twice elected president of the Grand National Curling Club, 
whose headquarters are at New York. He is president of the Northwestern Curl- 
ing Association and has donated an elegant silver trophy, to be awarded to the suc- 
cessful team of curlers of the society after three yearly contests. He is also presi- 
dent of the Milwaukee Ten-Pin League, and for three terms acted as president of 
the Milwaukee Rifle Club. At the time of the international rifle contest, held at 
Wimbledon, England, he was asked to join the American team, but, not being a 
native American, it was found that he was ineligible. 

.Among the positions of trust and responsibility held by Mr. Johnston may be 
mentioned: two terms as president of the Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce, and 
two terms as vice president of that institution. He has also been a member of the 
Common Council of Milwaukee for two terms, and for six years Commissioner of 
Public Debt. He was thrice president of the St. Andrew's Society, and thrice pres- 
ident of the Milwaukee Curling Club. He has taken deep interest in the cause of 
education. He is a member at large of the Board of Regents of the Wisconsin 
State University, and during the years of his prosperity he endowed two scholar- 
ships in that institution of learning. He is president of the Board of Trustees of 
Milwaukee College, and added to its prosperity by a donation of $5,000, He also 
jjresented a site for the Emergency Hospital. P"or twenty-five years he has been a 
Trustee of Calvary Presbyterian Church, and has always been a liberal contributor 
to its support. He is president of the State Historical Society; president of the 
executive Board of the State Bankers' Association; vice president of the Milwaukee 
Bankers' Association; trustee of the Milwaukee Public Library; and has held other 
positions of honor and trust in various associations, institutions and enterprises. 
He and his associates were instrumental in discovering and developing the cement 
di'posits of this locality. They organized the Milwaukee Cement Company, and 
for ncarl\- twenty years Mr. Johnston has been associated in its management as di- 
rector. 

He has been twice married; in 1868 he wedded Margaret Hunter, and thcv had 



l86 BIOGKAl'llICAL DICTIONARY AND I'ORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

one child, Edith. In 1881, he was united in marriage to Ethelinda Thorsen, and 
they have two children — Hilda and John Thor. 

Thirty-eight years have passed since Mr. Johnston arrived in Milwaukee. Dur- 
ing all that time he has so demeaned himself as to win the admiration, respect and 
confidence of the entire community. His success in life is attributed to his ability, 
steady application, good habits and courteous bearing. He has endeavored to fol- 
low the apostolic advice to live peaceably with all men so far as in him lies. 

V'iewed in a personal sense he is a strong man, of excellent judgment, fair in 
his views, quiet in asserting but strong in advancing ideas which he believes to be 
right; honorable in his relations with men, charitable in his deeds, and exemplarj^ 
in his life and character. He loves his home and his children with a loyal devotion. 
His library contains one of the finest private collections in the State, and much of 
his leisure time is spent in close communion with his favorite authors. He has 
taken a most active part in all movements that have tended to benefit the city and 
State, and is a ready and fluent speaker upon any and all subjects. He has been 
thrown into association with many men, — probably with more than any other man 
in the State ; and no better illustration of his courteous, gentlemanly disposition can 
be cited than the fact that he has made friends of nearly all of his acquaintances, 
and that although strong in his convictions and energetic and aggressive, he has no 
enemies. 



DANIEL L. PLUMER, 

WAUSAU. 

AS a current of living water flowing from a river into the sea freshens, purifies 
and invigorates it, so the current of New England life and character has 
flowed into our Western civilization and everywhere left its impress upon the lives, 
characters and works of the people of the newer States. The bleak climate, sterile 
soil, rugged hills and severe discipline of the Northeastern States were to some ex- 
tent a repetition of ancient Spartan conditions, and sent forth to the westward a 
race of men whose influence has been felt from Portland to Puget Sound, from 
Boston to the Golden Gate. In business enterprises, in educational affairs, in poli- 
tics, law and religion their leadership has been conspicuous; and in the biographi- 
cal sketches of the prominent men of every Northern State, New England is named 
as the birth-place of a very large proportion. 

Daniel Longfellow Plumer is a native of New Hampshire. He was born in 
Epping, July 3, 1837. His father, Abraham Plumer, was a descendant of an old 
Colonial family which emigrated from the north of England and settled in New- 
bury (old town), Massachusetts, in 1633. Sarah L. (Cilley) Plumer, mother of our 
subject, was also a member of an early Colonial family. Her ancestors located in 
Nottingham, New Hampshire, about 1680. On both father's and mother's sides 
Mr. Plumer is allied to families members of which have occupied high positions in 
life. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was a cousin of his mother, and in honor of 
that distinguished poet Mr. Plumer is in part named. 



REPRESENTATIVK MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. l8j 

The early life »>f Mr. I'iuiner was passed in the place; of liis hirlh. At an early 
ajfc he assisted in dointr chores upon his father's farm, meanwhile attendinir the 
ordinary district school; and later he entered the New London (New Hampshire) 
hi^h school, where he obtained a fair education and became proficient in the sci- 
ence and art of surveyinij and civil engineering. In 1856 he left school, and in the 
following year located in Wausau, Wisconsin, where he joined an elder brother who 
had located there, Me became an employe of the lumber firm of Nutter & Plumer, 
and worked in the woods for that firm at a salary of eighteen dollars per month. 
Being industrious and economical he saved a large portion of what he earned. He 
was of a sociable disposition, and formed a large number of acquaintances, many of 
whom became attached to him by ties of friendship, and he soon found himself 
elected County Surveyor of Marathon county. 

About i860 he began business on his own account, as senior member of the 
firm of Plumer & Nelson. The partners engaged in logging, had their logs sawed 
by contract, and rafted the manufactured lumber down the river to St. Louis, 
where they sold it. 

In 1864 Mr. Plumer associated himself with Messrs. George and W. C. Silver- 
thorn and organized the private banking house of Silverthorn & Plumer, which 
conducted a large business until 1882, when it was succeeded by the First National 
Bank, which was organized by Mr. Plumer and his associates that year. Since then 
Mr. Plumer has been president of that financial institution, which has always con- 
ducted a large, profitable and satisfactory banking business. 

In 1874 it became known to Mr. Plumer that iron ore existed in large quantities 
up in what is known as the Gogebic country; and in association with Messrs. N. D. 
Moore, S. S. Vaughn and D. L. Quaw, he invested largely in land in that section. 
These investments were profitable. After mines had been opened and remunera- 
tive returns were assured, Mr. Plumer and his partners, in company with Messrs. 
W. C. Silverthorn, Thomas Bardon and Gordon (iile, organized the Northern Chief 
Iron Company, which is capitalized for $3,000,000 and of which Mr. Plumer is 
president. The company owns the fee to the mines known as the Germania, East 
and West Cary, Windsor, Pence, Superior and several others, which are all ore- 
producers. Mr. Plumer is also the president and controlling spirit of the Wausau 
Gaslight & Coke Company. 

In his political principles Mr. Plumer is a Democrat; has always taken a deep 
interest in the welfare of his party at the polls, and has ever exerted his influence 
in its behalf. In addition to being County Surveyor prior to i860, he represented 
his district in the General Assembly in 1872-3, has served as a member of the Board 
of Supervisors for twelve years, been Mayor of the city for three years, and is now 
a member of the Board of Regents of the State University. He has traveled over 
the United States and has visited most points of interest. 

Personally he is sociable, agreeable and kindly, treating all with the hospital- 
ity of a true gentleman. He was married in 1869 to Mary jane Draper, a native of 
Troy, New York. 

Such is a brief description of a busy life, the course of \vhi( h ii.is i)ro\'ed in a 
marked manner that great success comes oftener from a lixcd purpose, bravely and 



BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



faithfully carried out, than from any chance or happy accident. Mr. Plumer has 
carved his way to the high position he now occupies by his own exertions. Scrupu- 
lously honest in all his transactions, scorning all forms of trickery and misrepresen- 
tation, fearing not honest ,toil, but ever willing to devote his time, attention and 
labor to bring success to any enterprise with which he becomes associated, his ca- 
reer is but another illustration of what hard and steady work, combined with hon- 
esty and integrity, will accomplish. Mr. Plumer started in life as poor as the poor- 
est of boys; that he has succeeded is due entirely to his own exertions, and he is a 
self-made man in the fullest sense of that oft-misused term. 



EDGAR PHILETUS SAWYER, 



II^DGAR P. SAWYER, son of Philetus and Melvina M. (Hadley) Sawyer, was 
^ born December 4, 1842, in Crown Point, Essex county, New York. In the 
fall of 1847 his parents journeyed westward to Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, 
where his father purchased a farm. Two years later the farm was disposed of and 
in December, 1849, the family moved to the village of Algoma — now in the city of 
Oshkosh, where in the common schools, Mr. Sawyer obtained his rudimentary edu- 
cation, which was later supplemented by a course in the local high school. His 
father had engaged in the lumber manufacturing business, and had laid the founda- 
tion of a successful career and when he attained the proper age Edgar devoted himself 
to assisting his father and displayed a natural aptitude for business. Therefore he 
early in life was consulted in all of his father's business relations and the responsi- 
bilities attached to managing growing manufacturing interests were placed upon 
him when he had barely reached man's estate. In 1853 Philetus Sawyer had formed 
a partnership with Messrs. Brand and Olcott, lumber manufacturers and dealers, in 
Fond du Lac, and purchased a sawmill located in Algoma, which he had operated 
for three years previous on contract work. The mill was rebuilt and improved. 
The business prospered, and in 1855 another new mill was added to their property. 
This mill still stands. In 1856 Mr. Olcott retired and the firm of Brand & Sawyer 
continued the business until 1862. In that year Philetus Sawyer purchased Mr. 
Brand's interest and in April, 1864, shortly after obtaining to his majority, his eldest 
and only surviving son, Edgar P. Sawyer, the subject of this biography, was ad- 
mitted as a partner in his general business, the firm being since then P. Sawyer & 
Son. For two years previous to being admitted into active partnership, Mr. E. P. 
Sawyer had been actively engaged in his father's business, and displayed business 
ability of a high order. A history of the affairs of P. Sawyer & Son is given in the 
biography of the Hon. Philetus Sawyer, whose portrait and biography are on the 
first printed pages of this volume, and therefore, to avoid repetition, details are not 
closely followed. In all of the business affairs of the firm of P. Sawyer & Son, 
Edgar Sawyer has been most active. When his worthy father was called upon to 
serve his fellow-citizens \n the House of Representatives and in the Senate, his busi- 
ness interests were left under the control of his son and partner, and that he has 




(p^^f' U^^^^l^i^t/y^^-y- 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. IQI 

shrewdly and conservatively conducted the affairs entrusted to his judijjment and 
management, is testified to by the fact that the business career of P. Sawyer & Son 
has been a continuous success. As profits from the lumber business accumulated 
it was essential to their prosperity to discover safe avenues for investment, and some 
of the largest and most successful enterprises of Northern Wisconsin have been 
founded with their capital. Pine lands were purchased and large mills established 
on the Menominee river and elsewhere; an extensive lumber yard opened in Chi- 
cago, and the stock of financial institutions purchased. From the foundation of the 
National Bank of Oshkosh — one of the most solid financial institutions in Wiscon- 
sin — P. Sawyer & Son have been largely interested therein, and for several years 
Edgar Sawyer has been vice-president of that institution, and he is also a director 
in a similar institution in Fond du Lac. In 1894 the Sawyer Cattle Cornpany was 
organized with capital stock of $390,000. This company which succeeds to the busi- 
ness of Sawyer, McCoy & Rumery, owns 220,000 acres of land under fence, located 
in Tom Green and Irion counties, Texas, on which 21,000 head of cattle graze. 
Politically Mr. Sawyer is a staunch and zealous Republican, but has never desired 
nor accepted political position. He is interested in Masonry, and has reached the 
thirty-second degree Scottish Rites, and is also a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He 
has been in sympathy with his father in all of his generous acts, and has bestowed 
cheerfully of his store to aid religious, charitable and educational institutions and 
to alleviate private suffering. He was married in October, 1864, to Mary E.Jewell, 
of Oshkosh. Two children have blessed this marriage, Maria M., wife of C. C. 
Chase, of Oshkosh, and Philetus H., a student at the University of Wisconsin at 
Madison. Mrs. Sawyer's father, Hon. Henry C. Jewell, was a man of prominence 
in the community, and was called upon by his fellow-citizens to fill positions of 
trust, and served as Mayor of Oshkosh and member of the State Legislature. 

Mr. Sawyer is domestic in his tastes and habits. He is a steady and regular 
reader of the higher class of literature and keeps fully in accord with the times 
by giving many of his spare moments to literature upon current events. He is 
courteous to all, — ever ready with a cheerful word and kindly smile to greet a 
stranger or a friend and in all affairs he conducts himself with the unostentatious 
dignity of a true gentleman. 

ALEXANDER McDONALD, 

FOND DU LAC. 

ALEXANDER McDONALD was born in Lancaster, Glengarry county, Canada, 
September 16, 1827. He is a son of Donald McDonald and Sarah, «cr Stewart! 
1 lis father was born in Canada, on the same farm where our subject first saw the 
light of day. The father of Donald McDonald was a native of Glenelg, Scotland. 
Sarah McDonald, mother of our subject, was born on the Isle of Skey, Scotland. 

Alexander received his early education at the common school of his native 
town, meanwhile assisting his father on his farm. At the age of thirteen he went 
to Montreal and obtained employment with his cousin, D. {. McDonald, in the 



192 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

grocery business. He remained there about three years. He then returned home 
and, during the following year attended school. At seventeen, he became an em- 
ploye of Archibald McBean, of East Hawksbury, Ontario, as clerk. After being 
there a year and a half, Mr. McBean established a branch store and Mr. McDonald 
was given an interest in the business, thus proving that even early in life he dis- 
played those traits of stable character that have ever clung to him through life. 
After being with Mr. McBean for three years he sold out his interest and went to 
Montreal and occupied himself temporarily as a clerk in the grocery establishment 
of his second cousin, Duncan McDonald. 

In 1848 he engaged as clerk to Captain Flower, a railroad contractor engaged 
in the construction of the Portland branch of the Grand Trunk Railway. He con- 
tinued as clerk one year, then took charge of a gang of men and a year later was 
made superintendent of the construction of a division in Lower Canada and later 
superintended several divisions in Canada West. He held that position for seven 
years. In 1855 he returned home and spent the winter. 

In 1856 he moved to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and engaged in the lumber busi- 
ness in association with his brother, J. S. McDonald, A. C. Merryman and Haynes 
Hunter. After five years he purchased the interests of all his associates except 
those of his brother, who was then on the Pacific coast, and carried on the business 
under the firm name of A. & J. S. McDonald until 1S69, when he sold his interest 
to his brother. 

In the meantime Mr. McDonald had purchased considerable pine land. In 
1871 he purchased a sawmill and engaged in the manufacture of lumber and dealt 
in pine lands. In 1882 he discontinued operations in that line in Fond du Lac and 
erected a sawmill at Fort Howard, Brown county. In 1892 he sold out his mill to 
his brother, Hugh McDonald. 

Mr. McDonald has been actively interested in many other enterprises. For 
eighteen years he manufactured sash, doors and blinds in association with his 
brother, J. S. McDonald, and Alexander Stewart. He was also president of the 
Wheel and Seeder Works until the business was sold out, He was also actively 
interested in the Fond du Lac Threshing Machine Company and was president of 
the Fond du Lac Manufacturing and of the Fountain City Paper Companies. 

Mr. McDonald has been Alderman of Fond du Lac several times and he has 
twice been elected Mayor of the city by the best people, irrespective of party. Po- 
litically, he is a Republican. He has traveled quite extensively over the United 
States and Canada and has visited Europe. While in Scotland, he saw the founda- 
tion of the house in which his mother was born. 

Mr. McDonald's earl}' teachings were conducive to a worthy life. His parents 
were members of the Presbyterian Church and instilled into the minds of their 
children, love of God, a love of righteousness and an abhorrence of intoxicants. Mr. 
McDonald has followed the precepts of his parents. He is now sixtj'-seven years of 
age and has never known the taste of intoxicating liquor nor ever used tobacco. His 
strong frame and hardy constitution have withstood the encroachments of time and 
his appearance is that oi a man of not more than fifty years of age. He has been 
a member of the Presbyterian Church since 1868 and is a Trustee of the First Pres- 
byterian Church of Fond du Lac. He is actively interested in church work and is 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 193 



always ready to aid any plan for the advancement of religion. He has been thrice 
married. September 14, 1859, he married Miss Annie Cameron, by whom he has 
one daughter, Sarah McDonald. December 12, 1863, his wife died. In February, 
1868, he married Christina McLennan, who only survived one year longer. June 12, 
1872, he married Sarah E. V'aughn, by whom he has one son, Alexander V. McDonald'. 



GEORGE H. CAMERON, 

OSIIKOSH. 

GEORGE HENRY CAMERON was born in the city of Albany, New York, on 
January 18, 1838, is the son of William Cameron, a contractor of that city, and 
his wife, Louise (Parks) Cameron. His father, in addition to contracting, also con- 
ducted at one time an express between New York city and Albany. 

The early education of our subject was received in the common school of his 
native city, and at a suitable age he was sent to the normal school, located in the 
same city. 

At the age of sixteen Mr. Cameron left his school books and became a clerk in 
a hat store, where he remained two years. Afterward, desiring to learn a trade, he 
selected that of a machinist and engineer. When thoroughly competent he became 
an employe of the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Company, and 
continued with that corporation for thirteen years. He was for a short time on the 
road as an engineer, but most of the time was foreman of erecting shops. 

Previoustocomingto Oshkosh his father-in-law and brothers-in-law had settled 
there and they induced him to follow them. In 1862 he moved West and located in 
Oshkosh. His father-in-law, Mr. William Campbell, then owned a shingle mill in 
which Mr. Cameron, associated with his brothers-in-law, became interested, and for 
several years conducted the business. In 1871 the firm of William Campbell & 
Sons was organized, and Mr. Cameron admitted to a well-earned partnership; the busi- 
ness rapidly increased, but the fiery element destroyed the sawmill in 1883, at which 
time the plant was immediately rebuilt on a much larger scale, and upon the death 
of Mr. W. Campbell the old firm was succeeded by the firm of Campbell Brothers 
& Cameron. In 1887 the firm added an extensive box factory to their already large 
sawmill, and, although they produce upward of 8,000,000 feet of lumber per annum, 
they find it necessary to buy lumber for their box factory to the amount of nearly 
4,000,000 feet. The firm of Campbell Brothers & Cameron own nearly 2,000 acres 
of timber lands in the State of Wisconsin, near Wapaca, and of this they have nearly 200 
acres cleared and under cultivation. On March 20, 1890, the firm was changed into 
a stock company, with Mr. Cameron for its president, under the name of Campbell 
& Cameron Company. The enterprises with which Mr. Cameron has been con- 
nected have always been successful financially, and he can now look back upon a 
life in which his success is as deserved as it is conspicuous. 

Socially Mr. Cameron is much esteemed. He belongs to the Oskosh Business 
Club, is a charter member f)f the Legion of Honor, and is a member in tjood stand- 
ingof the Royal Arcanum. 



194 HIOGKAl'HICAL DICTIONARY AND I'ORTKAIT GALLERY OF THE 



He was married June 21, 1857, to Miss Cathrine L. Campbell, and they are 
blessed with five sturdy sons: William Campbell, James Edwin, David Niblock, 
John Alexander and Robert Whittemore. Though fond of traveling Mr. Cam- 
eron's business activity and connections have prevented him visiting outside of the 
United States. 

Mr. Cameron affiliates with the Republican party of whose principles he is a 
staunch advocate. He thoroughly believes in discharging his duties as a private 
citizen in all matters of political importance, but has no desire for political office. 
He has had opportunities of acquiring various nominations by his party, but his de- 
ficiency of hearing has prevented his acceptance. He is thoroughly domestic in 
his tastes, and is closely applied to his large business interests. The business life 
of Mr. Cameron furnishes a notable example of what may be accomplished under 
adverse circumstances by energy and resolution, when guided by honorable prin- 
ciples and aided by agreeable personal characteristics. He is in truth a successful 
business man, and his actions in all his transactions are marked by scrupulously fair 
dealing, frankness and kindness, and faith in the better side of human nature. 
Personally a tireless worker, he admires that quality in others and cheerfully helps 
the man possessed of the vim and energy he so much respects. His charities are 
bestowed with an open hand, but always without ostentation. He is modest and 
retiring by nature. There is no vanity in his composition unless it is to do his work 
well, and to that end he concentrates all his powers. A man of irreproachable 
habits and pure character, as well as honorable and ambitious, he enjoys the friend- 
ship of all with whom he comes in contact. 



HON. WINCHEL D. BACON, 



WAUKESHA. 



WINCHEL DAILEY BACON was born at Stillwater, Saratoga county, New 
York, on the banks of the beautiful Hudson river, in the family residence 
which was built at so early a day that the nails, including those used for shingling, 
were wrought iron, made by hand. The house was lined with imported brick. His 
grandfather, Samuel Bacon, Sr., was one of three brothers who emigrated from 
England and settled in Connecticut, afterward removing to Stillwater, New York 
State, before the Revolution, taking up a tract of land, which became noted as a 
part of the battle ground on which occurred the engagement of General Gates with 
General Burgoyne in 1777, where the latter General suffered a signal defeat, 
losing his favorite officer, General F"razier, a calamity which so dispirited the 
British army that in a few days it surrendered. The father of the subject of this 
sketch, Samuel Bacon, Jr., inherited a portion of the homestead, including the 
family residence, and followed the occupation of fanning. His mother's maiden 
name was Lydia Barber Dailey. He was born in the same house as was his father, 
and worked on the farm until nineteen years of age; then went to Troy, New 




Tf- ^yi 



c-<irT-t^ 



REl'RESENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. lQ7 



York, twenty-two miles from home, and, obtaining a situation, served as clerk in a 
store for two years. 

In 1837, his father havinir sold the old homestead, and having purchased 
another farm in Butternuts, Otsego county, Winchel accompanied the family thither 
and resumed farm labor. On the 4th of July the next year he was married to Miss 
Delia Blackwell, of the town of Butternuts, and continued on the farm four years, 
teaching a school each winter, and on the 2d of September, 1841, collected his small 
accumulations, and. with his wife, started for the West, traveling from Utica to 
Buffalo by canal, thence by steamer to Milwaukee, and thence by team to Prairie- 
ville, now Waukesha. Being captivated with the country, he immediately bought 
a farm, making a cash payment of $300, which represented his entire monetary 
accumulation, and receiving credit for the balance. Here he settled, and sowed a 
field of wheat in September, within thirty days after leaving his Eastern home. He 
taught school during the following winter, and before spring sold his farm, which 
was six miles southwest of Prairieville, and bought another only half as far from 
town. In the summer of 1842 he worked that farm and taught school in the village, 
walking to and from his farm daily. His crop of wheat harvested in 1843 yielded 
between forty and fifty bushels per acre, being the largest ever grown in the State, 
except that of i860, which fully equaled that of 1843, although the earlier crop was 
winter wheat and the latter spring. 

In the autumn of 1843 Mr. Bacon moved into the village, and united with his 
brother-in-law, Mr. Charles Blackwell, in conducting the business of wagon-making. 
They obtained their first spokes and seasoned oak timber from rails of fences 
where they could be found sufficiently seasoned for that purpose. Mr. Bacon con- 
tinued to teach school until the spring of 1844, when, at the request of Mr. Edmund 
Clinton, he formed a partnership with that gentleman in the blacksmithing busi- 
ness, continuing wagon-making also, until the autumn of that year. At that time 
Mr. Clinton purchased an interest in the local gristmill, and Mr. Bacon, not being 
willing to hazard the risk, dissolved the partnership with Mr. Clinton, and bought 
a lot at the corner of Grand avenue and Main street, on which he built a shop, 
and with Mr. Blackwell still continued the wagon-making and blacksmith business. 
On this lot was a two-story building, the lower floor of which was used for a store, 
while the second story, being fitted up by Mr. Bacon, was used for a printing ofifice, 
and there Hon. C. C. Sholes printed the American Freeman, the first Liberty party 
paper published in the Northwest. In 1846 Mr. Bacon built a stone blacksmith and 
wagon shop three stories high, with a cornice. This last provision caused consider- 
able talk, there being not more than three buildings of any kind in the place having 
cornices. Continuing in this business about six years, he then traded his shops for 
a steam sawmill at Brookfield, on the Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien Railroad, 
seven miles east of Waukesha, the road then being in process of construction. 

In 1863 Mr. Bacon was appointed by President Lincoln as Paymaster in the 
army, and directed by General Andrews, Paymaster-General, to report to Major 
Brown, stationed at St. Louis. Major Brown detailed Major Bacon to serve at St. 
Louis, but in due; time the latter resigned. His private business compelled his 
return to \\ isconsin. 



iqS biographical dictionary and portrait gallery of the 



In 1S05, with other citizens. Mr. Bacon organized the Farmers' National Hank. 
of Waukesha, and conducted it about four jears, when, desirinj^' to retire as much 
as possible from active business, he closed up the bank. During all these years he 
had conducted his farming operations, and continued so to do for many years there- 
after. He was hardly out of one department of business before another sought 
him. For several years he was general agent of the Northwestern National Fire 
anil Marine Insurance Company, of Milwaukee, and held that position until 
June, 1S75. 

Politically, Mr. Bacon was of Whig antecedents. He voted for General Har- 
rison in 1840. He afterward became a Liberty party man. anil was active in his 
sphere for the success of emancipation. He was a member of the Assembly in 
1S53, ^^^^ session made notable by the attempt to impeach Judge Hubbell. He was 
appointed one of the Commissioners to locate a State reform school, which through 
his influence was located at Waukesha, he being made acting Commissioner and 
superintending the erection of the buildings. He was appointed several times one 
of the Trustees for the State Hospital for the Insane, and on finally resigning was 
appointed a Trustee of the Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb. He was several times 
Presicient of the Waukesha County Agricultural Society, and has filled several town 
and village offices, always receiving such offices entirely without seeking them. 

In the days of slavery he was wide awake in aiding the fugitive slave, and knew 
all the blind ways of the underground railroad. No slave, having made his way to 
\\ isconsin, was ever taken back to the South, b}' the operation of the fugitive slave 
law, or an}' other. Glover was captured near Racine by United States Marshals 
and other slave hunters, and thrust into the Milwaukee jail, when 15,000 sons of 
freedom surrounded the jail, burst in its doors, and carried Glover away by 
night, beyond the reach and knowledge of any of the cringing sycophants of the 
slave power of that daj'. Glover stayed the first night, after his rescue, at the house 
of Mr. Bacon, twenty miles from the jail. So successful was the escape that only 
four or five interesteti friends knew where he was. In 1S56 Mr. Bacon caused the 
Waukesha Republican, a campaign paper, to be published three months, and sent 
it to every voter in the county whose name he could secure, no matter whether the 
recipient paid for it or not. At the commencement of the campaign the county was 
estimated to give 300 Republican majority; it gave over qoo majority, just saving 
the election of a bold and valued member of Congress in the person of the Hon. 
John F. Potter. Mr. Bacon's election to the Assembly, previously mentioned, was 
unexpected to himself and every one. Had it been otherwise he would not have 
accepted the nomination, for he could not afford to take an)' position that would 
take him more than a day or so from his business. He never asked or sought for 
a political appointment or a political nomination. 

June 5, 1S61, the Governor of the State of Wisconsin. Hon. A. W. Randall, 
and Hon. W. W. Treadwell, Quartermaster-General of the State, commissioned 
Colonel Lysander Cutler and W. D. Bacon to repair to New York in haste to 
purchase $75,000 to $icxd,ooo worth of army supplies, and draw on the Treasurer 
at thirty days, and hurry them forward by express. Colonel Cutler, being a mil- 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 199 

itary man, was tau<jht to obey, and did not think to do otherwise. His asso- 
ciate, however, brought his ripe business experience to bear upon the transaction, 
and purchased the goods on sixty and ninety days' time, sending them to Madison 
by fast freight, where they arrived before tlie Treasurer had the money to liquidate 
the freight charges. 

Mr. Bacon was not the first settler of Waukesha, yet he came while the trails 
of the savage were fresh and unobliterated, while yet were in position the pole 
fences that inclosed their gardens to keep their ponies away, and while the graves 
of many of them were undisturbed. 

He has been a temperance man, never drank intoxicating liquors or used to- 
bacco, and was a member of the first temperance society organized in Prairie Vil- 
lage. In religious sentiment Mr. Bacon is a Baptist, and a most liberal contributor 
to the support of the church. Until he tendered his resignation a few years ago, 
he was for quite a period a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of 
Chicago, and also of Carroll College, Waukesha. He is a member of the Masonic 
fraternity, and has taken the Knights Templar degree. 

Mr. Bacon was married to Miss Delia Blackwell, of New York, July 4, 1838. 
By this union he has had five children, three of whom are now living: Joshua E., 
who is Waukesha's leading physician, and who is a graduate of Harvard College; 
Lydia Delia, now Mrs. George Barber; and Ida Julia, the wife of Mr. David James, 
of Waukesha. Mrs. Delia (Blackwell) Bacon died February 12, 1880, and on Sep- 
tember 15, 1883, Mr. Bacon married Mrs. Clara Campbell, of Muncy, Pennsylvania. 
Her parents, both of w-hom are deceased, were Hezekiah and Jane (Brown) Noble. 

In personal appearance Mr. Bacon most strongly resembles the immortal 
Washington, the resemblance being so strong as to be noticeable by strangers. 

Some time since the Chicago Herald published a brief tribute to the worth of 
Mr. Bacon, which it seems may with propriety be inserted here. 

" In his beautiful home at Waukesha lingers a very patient, heroic sufferer, 
around whose history there clings more than an ordinary interest. His name is 
W. D. Bacon. He was born at Stillwater, New York, and is now past seventy-six 
years of age. In 1836 he was baptized in the Unadilla river at South New Berlin, 
New York, by the noted evangelist, Elder Jabes Swan, and removed to Waukesha 
in 1841, where he is an esteemed member of the church. He was one of the early 
Trustees and friends of Wayland Academy, Chicago, and a great friend of the Amer- 
ican Baptist F"ree Mission Society, of whose interests in this State he was the first 
Secretary. He it was who first brought to the knowledge of Colonel Dunbar the 
remarkable qualities of the springs in Waukesha, which has resulted in making that 
place the '.Saratoga of the West.' He was one of the active spirits in the anti-slavery 
movements forty or more years ago. He has been the life-long friend of Dwight L. 
Moody in his work, and for over forty years of Elder James Delaney. Missions, 
education, churches and many philanthropic movements have been helped by his 
counsels, generosity and personal assistance. For nearly two years he has been 
confined to his room, but he leans trustfully on the finished work of Christ, and all 
is bright for the future. " 

Since the foregoing memoir was |jre|)ared, its honored subject has jjassed to 



BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



that eternal reward which he had earned by a life of devotion to all that is true and 
noble. After a lingering illness of more than three years' duration Mr. Bacon died, 
at his home in Waukesha, March 20, 1894, at the age of seventy-seven years and 
seven months. When the summons came he went forth joyfully, — the One who had been 
his staff and his stay in life was his guide in death. Calmly he fell asleep; as calmly 
and as patiently as he had endured his long illness, "for he knew whom he believed 
and was persuaded that He was able to keep that which was committed unto Him 
unto that day." 

Mr. Bacon left large bequests to the American Baptist Missionary Union, the 
China mission, to D. L. Moody, evangelist, and to the Young Women's Christian 
Association. He was laid to rest, March 23, 1894, in the beautiful cemetery at 
Waukesha, but more imperishable than any monument of bronze or stone is that 
which is his in the regard of men, who recognize that his life was one that was 
pure, true and right in the sight of the One who knows all and does all things well. 
The funeral obsequies were of impressive order and breathed that spirit of gentle 
tenderness which had ever been typical of the noble dead. Glowing tributes to the 
deceased were paid on the occasion by Rev. C. T. Nickerson, of Racine; and by 
Rev. James Delaney and Rev. P. S. Everett. 



HON. HIRAM MERRILL, 

JANESVILLE. 

HIRAM MERRILL was born January 14, 1829, in the town of Adams, Jefferson 
county. New York, and is the son of David and Eunice (Lord) Merrill, na- 
tives of the State of Maine and pioneers of Wisconsin. Our subject traces his an- 
cestry in a direct line to Nathaniel Merrill, who emigrated from England in 1635, 
and settled at Newbury, Massachusetts. Two years later, in 1637, his son Abraham 
was born, and succeeding him in the genealogical line of the family were : David, 
born February 20, 1677; David, born May i, 1708; Melatiah, born July 29, 1741, 
and William, born April 12, 1767. The last named was the grandfather of Hiram 
and a resident of Maine. 

Hiram's father was for some time a hotel-keeper in Massena, St. Lawrence 
county, New York, and from there removed to Cleveland, Ohio. In 1837 he drove 
with horse team to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, arriving at that city in November of that 
year, and was soon actively identified with the best interests of his new home, a re- 
lation that continued during the balance of a busy career. 

For many years he kept the Traveller's Inn, on Walker's Point, as well as own- 
ing and operating a general merchandise store. He also maintained a shipyard, 
where he constructed many lake vessels. His death occurred at Janesville, March 
12, 1872, at the ripe old age of seventy-nine years. His wife's death had occurred 
seventeen years before, November 10, 1855. Our subject is the sixth of the seven 
children of the family, ai\d received his education in the schools of Milwaukee. He 
spent a number of years in his father's shipyard, and on March 5, 1849, he started 



KKI'KKSKNI Ari\ K MKN OF TllK UNriKl) STATKS; WISCONSIN VOM'MK. 



with a party for California, making the trip overland by ox-team. The 27th day of 
September they crossed the summit of the Sierras, and soon thereafter reached their 
destination. Mr. Merrill engaged in mining, at which he continued for three years, 
and for two years was occupied in conducting water by ditches from the mountains, 
which he sold to the mines for hydraulic mining. 

In i(S54 he returned to the States byway of Nicaragua, and was engaged during 
the ensuing ten years in the grain and real-estate business in Milwaukee. In 1864 
he removed to Washington, New Jersey, and engaged in milling. 

In July, 1866, he returned to Wisconsin and located at Janesville, where he took 
the management of the Gas Light Company, of which he was a stockholder. He 
soon purchased a controlling interest in the company's stock, and is to-day the prin- 
cipal owner and general manager of the New Gas Light Company of Janesville, the 
present title of the corporation. Mr. Merrill has ever been identified with the 
growth and development of Janesville, being a stockholder in several of the impor- 
tant industries of the city, among others the Janesville Machinery Company. He 
is also a stockholder in the Oakwood Retreat, an institution conducted for the cure 
of nervous diseases, at Lake (iencva. 

Politically, Mr. Merrill is a Republican, yet not so strongly a partisan that he 
could not vote for a candidate who differs from him in political faith, if he thinks 
him a man of superior ability to the nominee of his own party. 

During his residence in Milwaukee he was elected to several minor offices and 
in the '70's was chosen Mayor of Janesville, and represented his assembly district in 
the Wisconsin Legislature. 

Mrs. Merrill was formerly Miss Louise Ballard, of Corydon, Warren county, 
Pennsylvania. Her marriage to Mr. Merrill took place at Machias, New York, 
October 20, 1856. Of this union have been born four children: H'arry E., whose 
death occurred June 9, 1893; May Evelyn, who died in 1867; Louise Adele, now the 
wife of Dr. T. B. Wiggin, of Chicago ; and Jessie Eugenie, now the wife of Burton 
H. Nolan, of Janesville, Wisconsin. 

In the death of his only son, Harry Ernest, in his thirty-fourth year, Mr. Mer- 
rill sustained a severe loss, not only in a domestic but in a commercial sense, for 
Harry was his father's trusted confidant and assistant in business affairs. 

Born the i8th of August, 1859, he received his primary education at the pub- 
lic schools of Janesville, and later attended the Shattuck Military School, at 
Paribault, Minnesota. It was at this institution that the writer of this sketch met 
him, and the friendship thus formed continued during their school life, when they 
separated, hoping and confidently expecting to meet again in future years — ah ex- 
pectation destined never to be realized. 

His frank, manly ways at once won for him the admiration and respect of his 
fellow-students, and there was no more popular cadet than Harry Merrill. Promo- 
tion came to him more of a suprise to himself than to his schoolmates, and he rose 
rapidly thnnigh the successive offices of corporal, sergeant and lieutenant, until he 
reached the highest position in the institution — captain of the corps of cadets. 
Still the same general favorite with those under his command as he was when in 



202 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND rORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

the ranks. A strict disciplinarian in all that pertained to the routine duties that 
devolved upon him, he was at other times a participant in every one of the many 
amusements that go to relieve the monotony of school life, and as unassuming in 
his manners as though a new recruit instead of the possessor of the coveted cap- 
tain's chevrons. Such a boy could not fail to become a good man, and the express- 
ions of esteem heard from those who knew him in later years, only served to con- 
firm an opinion formed fifteen years before. 

For a year and a half after leaving Faribault he engaged in stock raising at Spen- 
cer, Iowa, and at the expiration of that period returned to Janesville, where, in com- 
pany with his father, he engaged in the business of gas-fitting, under the firm name 
of H. E. Merrill & Company, which continued till his death. 

His illness was brief, the result of a sudden attack, and he passed away on the 
9th day of June, 1893, survived by his wife and three children, and sincerely 
mourned by all who knew him. 



BENJAMIN F. BRYANT, 

LA CRO.SSE. 

THE man from Maine has always been a potential element in the civilization 
and development of Wisconsin. The pine tree pointed the way for the pioneers, 
but along the woodman's trail came men of all vocations, — merchants, mechanics 
and scholastic professors of every degree. No better blood ever infused pioneer 
life ; no sturdier arm ever set about the task of subduing the wilderness, and no less 
vigorous mental activity could have raised a great commonwealth amid the un- 
broken elements of nature within the limits of half a century. Very much of the 
strong, distinctive Americanism which Wisconsin has maintained almost coequally 
with the other Eastern States, against an unparalleled tide of immigration from 
every nation upon the earth, is due to the virility of the pioneer stock in which the 
Pine Tree State is so strongly represented. 

The war, which turned and overturned everything in the United States except 
the fundamental principles of indissoluble union and universal liberty, called a halt 
upon the westward-journeying star of empire until every star in the national firma- 
ment, however prone to wander, should know and admit that its place was fixed and 
everlasting. The lessons of the war were not alone to those who denied the nation ; 
all men understood better that this was our common country, and the migrations, 
which before had seemed like leaving home for distant and alien lands, took on a 
changed aspect as the iron boundaries of the State were leveled. The associations 
of the war had also their influence. The men of Maine and Wisconsin stood side 
by side for a common cause on many fields, and the friendships cemented in sacri- 
ficial blood are not easily broken. When the last act in the great drama was ac- 
complished, and half^a million soldiers returned to peaceful civil life almost in a sin- 
gle day, thousands of home seekers turned their faces toward the star of empire, 
which again grandly took its way westward. Every Eastern State had its favorite 




ji)-uL*^\3^ J^Yc<x/%^| 



RKl'KESKNTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 205 



Western State, and the men of Maine, still influenced by the magnetic pine tree as 
well as by the thoii<^ht of friends who liad i)rcce(letl tiieni, resumed their journey 
toward Wisconsin. 

There are occasional instances of one who paused on the way to try the life of 
what we now call the Central States, but which thirty years ago seemed the far 
West to the New Englander. When such an one completed his journey to Wiscon- 
sin, fulfilling his destiny as a Maine man, he was received with all the more com- 
placency as one who came upon judgment and knowledge, and not because others 
had beaten the path. Such an one was the subject of this sketch, Benjamin F. 
Bryant, who left Maine for Ohio in 1861, and in 1868 first put his foot upon Wis- 
consin soil to dwell there, three years of the interim having been spent upon South- 
ern battle-fields. The Judge, or Colonel, as he was called indiscriminately, is one of 
the best representatives of his native State Wisconsin has ever welcomed : proud of 
his birth-place ; loyal to his ali)ui imitcr, the venerable Bowdoin College ; faithful in 
regard for statesmen and scholars that Maine has given the nation, yet from the 
start thoroughly assimilating all of Western life except its crudeness, he was well 
fitted to do his share in the educational and social development of a relatively new 
community. 

Benjamin French Bryant, son of Benjamin and Lucy F. Bryant, was born at 
Rockland, Maine, September 3, 1837. His father was a physician, born at \ew 
Vineyard, Franklin county, Maine, in 1803, himself the son of a farmer and black- 
smith, who taught all his sons, — many in number, — ^the blacksmith trade before their 
majority. The Bryants in New England were from the olden-time workers in iron. 
Colonel Bryant's grandfather, of the maternal branch. Deacon Joseph French, was 
a farmer who went into Maine from Massachusetts near the close of the last cen- 
tury, when Franklin county was a wilderness, and settled on a farm at South Ches- 
terville before a tree had been felled on it, and cleared it himself. His daughter 
Lucy was born there in 1805. The farm is still owned and cultivated by descend- 
ants of the same name. 

Both branches of Colonel Bryant's family are old in New England, and settled 
in Massachusetts near the middle of the seventeenth century. His father's family 
are of English and Scotch extraction ; his mother's of English. His grandfather 
Bryant and sons were men of versatile talents and ready of speech. The mother's 
family have been from the earliest time among. the sturdiest of New England peo- 
ple, usually farmers, but sometimes hotel-keepers, mechanics, merchants and physi- 
cians. Ur. John French, of Bath, New Hampshire, was Colonel Bryant's mother's 
uncle, and Ezra B. French, Second Auditor of the United .States Treasury, was Dr. 
French's son and her cousin. 

Colonel Bryant lived in Maine from his birth until after his majority, attending 
common schools only until he was seventeen years old. I le then began to attend 
the Maine Wesleyan Seminary at Kent's Hill, in the town of Readfield, where his 
father and mother had completed their education. He there pursued his studies 
about six months each year for four years, fitting himself for teaching and also to 
enter college. As his father was too poor to assist him in his education, he was 
compelled to provide the means himself, and accordingly while at the academy and 



206 BlOGRAI'lllCAl- DICTIONAKY AND I'ORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



in college he worked on the farm each sinnnicr and tau,t^ht scliool winters, and in 
this way defrayed the expenses of school. 1 le left home when sixteen years old to 
take care of himself, and was with his parents afterward only for brief periods witli 
long intervals. 

The young man had tlie full measure of American ambition, and upon the subject 
of education he said, " I will." All things come to such if they are as steadfast as 
courageous ; and in 1859 he entered Bowdoin College, in the class of 1863. He did 
not, however, com])lete the course ; when his class graduated he was taking a higher 
course in patriotism with the Army of the Cumberland in the Chickamauga cam- 
paign. In 1856 his father had removed to Huron county, Ohio, where the son 
joined him in 1861. Soon after he entered the law ofifice of Kennan & Stewart at 
Norwalk, that county. Legal studiesas well as all other peaceful vocationswere pros, 
ecuted under difficulties, with the war spirit growing into an intense passion through, 
out the land, and in August, 1862, Blackstone et id omne genus went back upon the 
shelves to bide their time, while the young student went to the front as Sergeant 
in Company A, One Hundred and Fir.st Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The 
regiment was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland, and participated in the 
principal battles of that section. After Stone River, Sergeant Bryant was commis- 
sioned First Lieutenant, and in March, 1864, Captain of his company. He was 
mustered out with his regiment at the close of the war, June 20, 1865. His military 
record tells its own story: promotion was won o\\ the Held, and was the reward of 
duty faithfully and courageously done. 

He was not alone of his family to serve the Union cause in the service of arms. 
His father had but three sons, all of whom were in the army. Colonel Bryant's 
oldest brother, John E. Bryant, was Captain in the Eighth Regiment, Maine Volun- 
teer Infantry. He entered the service with his regiment in 1861, and served three 
years. The youngest brother, Thomas C. Bryant, enlisted in 1863 in the Third 
Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, and served there until the close of the war. 

After returning from his military service Colonel Bryant completed his legal 
studies at Norwalk, Ohio, in the office where he had commenced them in 1861, was 
admitted to the bar in April, 1866, at the spring term of the District Court for 
Huron county, and at once commenced to practice law there. He was married, near 
the close of the war, to Augusta A. Stevens, of North Fayette, Maine. She was 
educated at Kent's Hill, at the seminary which he had attended, and also at the 
female college there. In i866the young couple took up their residence at Norwalk, 
Ohio, and remained until the spring of 186S, removing in May to La Crosse, which 
has been their home to the present day. 

There have settled in La Crosse few men who made their presence felt more 
quicklyand positively than Judge Bryant. He had an exceeding grace and suavity of 
manner that sometimes made his Irish friends inquire what part of the "ould sod'' 
claimed the honor of his birth. When occasion arose for apublicspeech he stepped in 
an instant into jxipular favor. His language wasscholarly, forcible, poetical if occasion 
required, with a pungent savor of wit, and his method was at once persuasive and 
forcible. From the start Colonel Bryant was in such demand by the Republican 
party that his law i)ractice wouUl lunc fared ill had not good Yankee business sense 



iKl'KESENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNIIEI) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 207 



set a limit upon too importunate party demands. As it was, he was forced against 
his intention, and ahnost against his will, into ijublic life. He was County Judge of 
La Crosse county for one term of four years, — from 1870 to 1874. He has been 
elected to the office of District Attorney of that county for three terms of two years 
each. In April, 1875, he was appointed United States Pension Agent at La Crosse, 
and held the o!-'fice until it was consolidated, in July, 1877, with the St. Paul and 
Milwaukee agencies. From October, 1882, to September, 1885, he was Postmaster 
at La Crosse. Governor C. C. Washburn and also Governor William E. Smith, of 
Wisconsin, appointed him Aid-de-camp on their staffs, with rank of Colonel. He 
has also been active and prominent in the Grand Army ; was a charter member 
and has been Commander of Wilson Colwell Post, G. A. R., of La Crosse ; has also 
served as Senior Vice Commander and Department Commander of this depart- 
ment. He was one of the incorporators of the Wisconsin Veteran Home, estab- 
lished in 1887 under the auspices of the G. A. R. of that State, and has been a mem- 
ber of the Board of Directors and treasurer of that institution. He is also a mem- 
ber of the Loyal Legion. 

It is, perhaps, well that some more extended allusion should be made to Judge 
Bryant in his capacity as a public speaker. In his practice he is best known as an 
advocate, though he never goes into court with a case without knowing thoroughly 
all the law bearing upon it. If the announcement is made that Judge Bryant is to 
address the jury, people make it a point to get around and hear what he has to say. 
He likes very well to compose an address, — to set his thoughts clearly and logically 
in array with felicitous simile and apt quotations ; but he is also one of the few men 
who can make a speech under the inspiration of the hour that will, without addi- 
tion or emendation, read like a polished essay when it appears it print. /\ notable 
instance of this faculty is found in his speech at the annual encampment of the 
Grand Army of the Republic at Milwaukee in 1887, on the Dependent Pension Bill, 
which was taken down by thestenographersas spoken, and printed without revision, 
a speech made without preparation and called out by the occasion, but that stands 
as one of the ablest and most eloquent addresses ever delivered in Wisconsin. 
While Colonel Bryant rarely speaks without some preparation, still, when called 
upon with but a short time to prepare, the outlines of a speech quickly take shape 
in his mind, both as to what he should say and the order of arrangement. Close 
observation of current affairs throughout the world, the study of ancient history, 
especially the history of governments, and an exceptional familiarity with the best 
literature, both ancient and modern, have stored his mind with ideas which are 
always subject to the call of a retentive memory. That such a man should be both 
an elegant and eloquent speaker need hardly be said. That he is a logical and 
accurate debater has been proven in many warm political contests in Wisconsin. 
1 lis speeches on patriotic occasions are models for all America. He inculcates a 
devotion to the ideas underlying our form of government, and the flag that symbol- 
izes them, " that touches the right spot," as his hearers say, and makes one of his 
addresses a lesson in patriotism for old and young. To sum up his broad-gauge 
character in a phrase, it may be said that Colonel Bryant is a true cosmopolitan. 



HIOGRAI'IIKAL DICTIONARY AND I'ORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



The rugged experiences of early farm life put stores of vitality into a physique not 
apparently robust ; his years at that most sedate and most dignified seat of learning, 
old Bowdoin, imparted the scholastic air which time and later experiences have 
not than<red ; the study and practice of law has eliminated haste or prejudice in 
judgment ; the bitter experiences of war has made patriotism an active principle 
worthy of entering into all the affairs of life ; the filling of public offices widely diff- 
ering in character has imparted a knowledge not only of affairs, but of men, and to 
these latter qualities twenty years of experience as a public speaker have contributed 
more than words can readily express. To all this something equal to all may be 
added, — a wife capable of aiding as well as appreciating. Mrs. Bryant is so charm- 
ing in society that only those who know her well realize all the graces of her amply 
stored mind, her judgment of art and literature, her clear insight of character, and 
her kind and charitable disposition. Their home is a model of quiet elegance, and 
whoever enters feels at once the pervading atmosphere of refinement. It is the 
model American home of a model American citizen. 



GORDON H. GILE, 



^I"^I1E first mention of the Gile family in American annals is found in the record 
JL of the arrival in the colonies of John Samuel and Ann Guile, or Guild, in the 
year 1636. They appear to be descended from the Rev. William Guild (or Guile), 
of Aberdeen, Scotland, who was born in 1586, and died there in 1603. The Ameri- 
can branch of the Guile family first settled in Dedham, Massachusetts, but soon 
moved to Newbury, and later to Haverhill, where Samuel Guile married. I'rom 
Samuel Guile, of Haverhill, descended the father of our subject. 

Gordon Hall Gile, one of the most prominent men of Oshkosh, and in fact the 
entire State, is the son of William and Ann (Stephens) Gile. He was born May 
2Q, 1827, in Oxford, Chenango county, New York. His father was a well-to-do 
tailor. The early childhood of our subject was spent at his home, where he re- 
ceived his rudimentary education in the common or public schools. At the age of 
twelve, as was common in those days, Gordon was hired out to work on farms dur- 
ing the summer, receiving therefor, when sixteen years old, a stipend of $50 for 
seven months' labor. Little as the amount appears, he managed to send his father 
$47.50 of his earnings. The long winter terms were profitably spent at school until 
he was sixteen years old. Then his usefulness increased, and during the early 
spring and fall seasons he ran rafts of lumber on the tributaries of the Susque- 
hanna river. In such manner our subject spent his boyhood and early manhood, 
developing a splendid physique and a hardy constitution. He was reared to habits 
of industry, economy, prudence and sobriety. These traits of character, coupled 
with untiring energy an\l enterprise, have in later years shown a wonderful result. 

In 1845 Mr. Ciile, tiring of the monotonous life at home, desired to see some- 




4i- 




REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 



thiiii^' of the l)Ouinlless West. Naturally a lumberman, his thou<fhts turned to Wis- 
consin, which was then just in its infancy as a lumber-producing territory. In the 
sprinj^ of that year he came to Twin Rivers, where he found emploj'ment in a 
sawmill. The same fall he worked as a sailor on a schooner on the great lakes, 
and when navigation closed he was again at home in New York, where he resumed 
his old life until he was twenty-one years of age. In 1S50 Mr. Gile again set forth 
for the West, and came to Waushapa county, where he settled and actively began 
the life of a farmer. After a few years of residence there, he became the candi- 
date for the ofifice of the Clerk of the Court on the Whig ticket, and after election 
served in that position for eight or ten years. He afterwards became County 
Treasurer for two terms. Being always desirous of following the lumber business, 
it was not strange that Mr. Gile took up the labors of a woodman on the Wiscon- 
sin river, hunting for pine lands on his own account and that of others. In 1871, 
desiring the better educational advantages obtainable for his children at Oshkosh, 
Mr. (iile removed hither, and here he has since resided. Mr. Gile actively 
continued his lumber and pine-land business until 1882, but during his explorations 
for available timber tracts he also turned his attention towards mineral lands and 
mining. To the enterprise and mental resources of such men are due the wonder- 
ful improvement of the mining region of Wisconsin and the northern peninsula of 
Michigan, — an industry which has astonished the native residents and made itself 
felt even in the center of the iron market of the world. 

Mr. Gile's interests in mines and mining are very extensive. He is the treas- 
urer of the Northern Chief Iron Company, which owns and works such properties 
as the Germania, Cary, Superior, Windsor and others. 

The business life of Mr. Gile represents a powerful illustration of what it is 
possible to accomplish by an intelligent and conscientious discharge of his duties, 
close attention to business, untiring energy, and honesty and integrity. Such a 
man becomes in a measure a ])ul)lic benefactor, not because of any special inten- 
tion, but because of his very nature, which leads to such enterprise and dealings as 
will benefit his neighbors as well as himself. 

Whatever Mr. Gile does in either private or public affairs is done without 
ostentation and so modestly as to indicate shrinking from observation or notoriety'. 
He never poses as a philanthropist, but by the most honest and honorable methods 
by which he has acquired a fortune, and especially by the manner he has used it, 
he is fairly entitled to the consideration he receives, — to the confidence and esteem 
of the community in which he lives. 

The life Mr. Gile has lived, while forging himself forward to the position he 
now holds in the world, has been through hard work, through privation, and isola- 
tion from all that makes life worth living, — in the hope of remuneration a little 
beyond that of daily bread. Many are the acts of charity which his generous 
nature has performed without ostentation. In his good deeds he knows no creed, 
but every worthy cause receives the attention of which it is deserving. 

Politically, Mr. Gile affiliates with the Republican party, of whose principirs he 
is a stanch supporter. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and has jtassed 



212 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND I'ORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

through the various degrees, up to and including the thirty-second degree Scottish 
Rites. 

In addition to his varied mining interests, Mr. Gile is vice-president of the 
German National Bank of Oshkosh. 

In 1867 Mr. Gile married Miss Sarah Wilson, of F"ranklin county, New York. 
They are the parents of two daughters: Julia Adaline, now the wife of Hon. Gus- 
tav Luscher, of Oshkosh ; and Jennie C. Gile. 

Mr. Gile is very fond of travel, and has visited all parts of the United States, 
including the Pacific coast and the Puget Sound region, and also Canada and 
Cuba. 

Outside of his business, Mr. Gile's special interest centers about his home, to 
which he is very devoted. He is an upright, intelligent and remarkably active 
man ; he transacts his business personally with a vigor which would do justice to a 
man of half his years. To energy and application he owes his success, and enjoys 
his achievements with imperturbability, and is recognized by all as an upright busi- 
ness man, a cultivated gentleman and a worthy citizen. 



HON. JOHN S. ROWELL, 

BEAVER DANL 

OWING to three inventions of national importance the center of civilization has 
moved westward at the rate of thirty miles each year, and those three inven- 
tions are the reaper, the thresher and the sewing machine." This fact was affirmed 
by no less a person than Hon. William H. Seward. 

In recounting the deeds of inventors of practical machinery the name of John 
S. Rowell should stand side by side with that of Cyrus Hall McCormick and Jerome 
I. Case. The inventions of these men have been an inspiration to progress through- 
out the civilized world. Like McCormick and Case, Mr. Rowell is a product of 
the farm. With no opportunities save such as he himself produced he has forced 
himself to the front. 

He was born in the tow of Spring Water, Livingston county. New York, on 
April I, 1827. His parents were John and Sarah (Moore) Rowell. Their home 
was one of comfort but was conducted economically , and the need of practical 
economy to insure future success was early impressed upon the nine children — of 
whom John was the youngest. The son readily profited by such experience, and 
being blessed with a practical and inventive mind he developed into a man well 
equipped for the best successes of life. 

The opportunities offered him for acquiring an education were limited to those 
obtainable in the district school. He made good use of his time and became well 
grounded in the simpler branches of study. However, he has obtained most of his 
knowledge in the " school of e.\perience," where he has become possessed of a 
good practical educations 

Between assisting his father on the homestead and attending school during the 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. . 213 

winter terms, his time was well occupied. He however found time to learn the 
trade of wooding and molding plows, at which he soon became an adept. In that 
line of work he assisted in producing many of the famous Livingston county plows. 
In 1842, when our subject was but fifteen years old, his father moved to Wisconsin 
but our subject stopped at Goshen, Indiana. The following fall (1843) he pro- 
ceeded Westward and came to Wisconsin, where he remained to the spring of 1844, 
wiien he returned to Indiana and remained there until he was eighteen. At 
that time, being very desirous of advancing in the world and having moved to 
Oswego, Kosciusko county, he was advised by his brother, who had preceded him 
to Goshen and who had become connected with a successful plow foundry, to en- 
gage in the same branch of business. The entire capital of Mr. Rowell at that 
time consisted of a rifle and forty dollars of borrowed money. This appeared an 
exceedingly small amount of capital with which to enter business, but he deter- 
mined to make the venture. His first move was to turn his entire capital, rifle and 
all, into flour, which he bought at three dollars a barrel, getting three barrels of 
flour for the rifle. He soon traded his flour at a valuation of four dollars a barrel 
for plow castings, and then borrowed some carpenter's tools and with an ax went 
into the timber and by himself chopped down the trees, hewed and scored the sills 
and framework for his foundry and factory, hauled it to the town and laid out and 
framed his building. Then he dug his water race, put in the flume, made and set 
up his water wheel, put in the shaft and pulleys, built and put up fan bellows, antl 
all this was done without any outside help except when his building was raised. 

When he had his foundry about completed, Mr. Auberson, of Fort Wayne, 
came through Oswego. Hearing about the endeavors of tne eighteen-year-old boy 
to build a foundry, he sought him and investigated his labors. Mr. Auberson asked 
Mr. Rowell what he would do in order to secure a cupola. He did not know. Mr. 
Auberson offered to give him a piece of a boiler which he could use for the pur- 
pose, if he would come with him to Fort Wayne, a distance of about sixty miles. 
Mr. Rowell accepted the proposition and secured a team and proceeded. Money 
at that time was exceedingly scarce with Mr. Rowell, necessitating rigid economy. 
He bought himself a loaf of bread and some summer sausage, and this provender 
comprised his food supply until he returned from Ft. Wayne. Returnino- he com- 
pleted his factory and immediately began turning outcast-iron plows, steel plows at 
that time having not been thought of. The business he conducted successfully 
about three years and accumulated about $1,500. Thinking himself rich enough to 
enter more lucrative business, he gave up his undertaking and returned to Goshen, 
where he entered a mercantile establishment. This undertaking did not prove 
successful, however; wherefore he moved to Wisconsin and settled in I lartland, 
Waukesha county, where he began the manufacture of steel plows. Here he also 
remained three years, and then returned to Goshen, Indiana, and bought a one- 
third interest in his brother's establishment, which was one of the oldest in the 
West. Though he made some money there it did not satisfy him; wherefore in 
1854 he again came to llartland and remained there one year, doing odd jobs, look- 
ing about for a business ojjijortunity. The following year, 1855, he came to Heaver 
Dam and 1)Ought a little old foundrw which was located on thegroundof hisjiresent 



214 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

factory and which had previously been deserted by several others. Because of the 
failure of the previous occupants the place was in bad repute, and by reason of his 
undertaking to revive it, Mr. Rowell could secure no credit, as everyone said it was 
but a matter of a short time before he also would be obliged to leave it. The in- 
habitants used to come around and look in at the windows but declined to come in. 
To show the little faith the people had in the man who undertook to build up the 
business the following story will be listened to with great interest: A shoe dealer 
of Beaver Dam had a shoemaker doing repairing for him, and this workman at all 
times was paid for his labor in "trade." One day while the proprietor was away 
from the city Mr. Rowell stepped in and asked the shoemaker to sole and heel his 
boots, which work cost $1.50, but told him at the time that he could not pay him 
for a few days. The shoemaker agreed to do the work and charged the bill on 
the books of the storekeeper. When the proprietor returned and found out that 
the shoemaker had trusted Mr. Rowell, he reprimanded the employe and declared 
that the bill would be charged to the shoemaker. "All right," the latter replied; 
" I will stand it." A day or two later, when Mr. Rowell paid the bill, considerable 
amusement was created as the shoemaker got some cash at last on his labor ac- 
count. 

The enterprise of John S. Rowell has prospered since its organization until 
to-day nearly a quarter of a million dollars of implements are made and sold annu- 
ally. Their trade extends not only over the entire West, Northwest and Southwest, 
but many machines are sold to foreign countries, principally Russia. Since Mr. 
Rowell has manufactured the famous Tiger thresher his business has steadily 
increased. In 1861 he also added seeding machines to his lines of implements and 
holds upward of twenty patents on various improvements on his machinery, — pat- 
ents which he has often been compelled to defend in courts of law, always coming 
out winner. To make room for his two able sons, into whose care the major por- 
tion of his business has been given, the implement business was incorporated on 
October 18, 1888, and capitalized at $100,000. 

Mr. Rowell is yet the principal mover in the business and the president of the 
company. He has however not limited his efforts to the implement business, but 
nearly all lines of enterprises have sought his assistance. He is a heavy stock- 
holder and director in the Beaver Dam Cotton Mill Company, which was organized 
in 1883. He is a director in the First National Bank of Beaver Dam, and holds 
the same position in the Beaver Dam Electric Light Company and the Beaver Dam 
Malleable Iron Company. 

He is a great fancier of horses and used to be a horseman of no mean order. 
He owned the famous "Badger Girl," with a record of 2:22>4, and at the present 
time has some of the most promising stock in Wisconsin. 

Mr. Rowell has been married twice, — first time January i, 1850, to Miss Mary 
Martha Ball, of Virginia. This lady died in April, i8qi. She was the mother of 
five children: Theodore B. and Samuel W. Rowell, who are both interested with 
their father in his busii>ess; and three daughters; Elizabeth, who was the wife of 
Lyman Barber, died January 10, 1880; Lillian is the wife of Mr. Ernest Munger, of 
Waupun, Wisconsin; and Florence Belle married Robert Hopkins, of Milwaukee, 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 21 7 

Wisconsin; she is a professional harp player and widely known in that capacity. 
Mr. Rowell subsequently married Mrs. Mary Shiller, of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. 

In political life Mr. Rowell is a staunch Republican. He is in no wise a politi- 
cian, but seeks to benefit his fellowmen to the best of his ability. In 1S67 he served 
as Mayor of Beaver Dam and has also been Alderman for two terms. 

Mr. Rowell durin<r his busy and successful life has been recognized as a power 
and force in the development of the resources of his native land. Not only have given 
his efforts assisted in developing the farms on the plains and prairies and lightened 
the labors of the husbandman, but his extensive manufacturing enterprises have 
employment to many men. Mr. Rowell's men have genuine affection for him, as 
they know his strict regard for justice in his dealing with them. During his entire life 
he has paid all his obligations with one hundred cents on the dollar, and assisted 
many to tide over temporary embarrassment. 

He is highly esteemed by all who know him, and he has kept closely in touch 
with all the incidents of the day, which fact accounts for his splendid preservation 
to the present time. He is rapidly nearing the psalmist's span of time — three score- 
years and ten — with his mental and physical powers unimpaired and gootl for many 
years to come. 



JOHN R. BENNETT, 

JANESVILLE, 

IT is a well attested maxim that the greatness of a State lies not in its machinery 
of government, not even in its institutions, but in the sterling qualities of its in- 
dividual citizens, in their capacity for high and unselfish effort and their devotion 
to the public good. Among those who are justly entitled to be enrolled among the 
makers of the great commonwealth of Wisconsin, is Judge John R. Bennett, whose 
more than forty years' residence in the State has left its impress upon the common- 
wealth and nation. Although born in New York and surrounded by all the attrac- 
tions which that charming and picturesque region affords in its hills and valleys 
and beautiful lakes, he saw the great possibilities of the West, and as a conse- 
quence left his home within six months after he was admitted to the bar, on May 8, 
1848, with only sufficient money to take him to his place of destination, in Janes- 
ville, Wisconsin. 

From the beginning he occupied a place among the leaders of the Rock county 
bar, and has since been a peer of the brightest and ablest in the profession. He 
possessed no rich inheritance or influential friends to aid and assist him in estab- 
lishing himself in business, but he was filled with high hopes and laudable ambi- 
tions to succeed. His life has been one of ceaseless toil and labor, and his success 
has been commensurate with his labors. 

Judge Bennett's ancestors were Puritans, who, in 1668, made their appearance 
in Connecticut, and from that day to this the family history is illustrated with 



2l8 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



bright examples in all walks of life. The father of John R. Bennett was Daniel 
Bennett, who was born at Stonington, Connecticut, February i6, 1793. His mother, 
Deborah Leeds Bennett, nee Spicer, was a granddaughter of Gideon Leeds, of 
Leeds, England, and was born at Groton, Connecticut, April 15, 1792. 

The father and mother of Judge Bennett lived in the rural community of Rod- 
man, Jefferson county. New York, where on the first day of November, 1820, the 
subject of this sketch was born. 

Western New York was then almost an unbroken wilderness, there being but 
few settlers between his birthplace and Buffalo. His early years were spent in as- 
sisting his father in clearing the land and in other work on the farm. He attended 
the country school and attained proficiency in the common branches. 

In the fall of 1839 he became a student in the Black River Literary and Relig- 
ious Institute, of Watertown, New York, where he fitted himself for the profession 
of teaching, in which he engaged at intervals until April, 1844, in connection with 
his attendance at the institute. At the date mentioned he entered upon a course 
of law studies under preceptorship of W. W. Wager, of Brownville, Jefferson county, 
New-York, which continued for a period of six months. In April, 1845, Mr. Ben- 
nett commenced reading law in the office of Dyre N. Burnham, of Sackett's Harbor, 
New York, and pursued his studies with that gentleman until May 8, 1848, when he 
was admitted to practice in the courts of that State, at Oswego, New York. 

Soon after his admission to the bar he came West and settled at Janesville, Wis- 
consin, arriving October 13, 1848, and from that time until elected to the bench, in 
April, 1882, he zealously pursued his profession, and his efforts were rewarded with 
success. 

He was re-elected in April, 1888. In 1862 he was elected District Attorney for 
Rock county, and served until 1867, distinguishing his administration of that office 
by the energy and ability with which he conducted the legal business of the county. 
Without being a candidate, he was nominated by the Republican State convention, 
1875, for the office of Attorney General of the State, but he was defeated with the 
balance of the ticket. 

Judge Bennett has been a staunch Republican and a faithful adherent of the 
principles governing the party since its organization. In i860 he was a delegate to 
the National convention which nominated Abraham Lincoln, and looks back upon 
those stirring times with considerable interest. In April, 1894, he was a candidate 
for re-election as Judge of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit and was re-elected, by a 
majority of over 2,000, to the bench which he had graced with so much ability, 
honesty and industry for nearly twelve years. As a lawyer Judge Bennett has prac- 
ticed in all courts of the State and the Federal courts and has shown an ability which 
has placed his name with such men as Carpenter, Whiton, Knowlton, Noggle and 
Jordan. His business in the Supreme Court of the State became so extensive that, 
it is said, no edition of the Wisconsin Reports, from the first to the last, has been 
issued that did not connect his name with some important cases. 

On November 28, 1844, Judge Bennett was united in marriage, at Houndsfield, 
Jefferson county. New York, to Miss Elsie L. Holloway, daughter of Charles Hoi- 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 219 

lovvay, Esq. She departed this life May 28, 1893, universally beloved and mourned. 
Her sweet and t^entle inlUience has left an impression upon the life of her husband 
which time cannot efface. The following is the tribute to her memory, offered by 
the members of the Rock County Bar Association, and is taken from the record 
given at the time in a local newspaper. 

There was an air of unusual solemnity at the opening of the Circuit Court this 
morning. Members of the Rock County Bar Association were present in large 
numbers, and when Judge A. Scott Sloan, of Beaver Dam, took his seat as presid- 
ing judge there was profound silence. B. B. Eldredge had been assigned the duty 
of presenting to the court the memorial of the Rock county bar on the death of Mrs. 
John R. Bennett. He stepped forward and with manifest emotion addressed the 
court. After brief introductory remarks he presented these resolutions: 

May it Please Your Honor: The Rock County Bar Association being notified 
of the death of the wife of the judge of this court, Mrs. Elsie L. Bennett, attended 
the funeral in a body, and commissioned us, its committee, to prepare a statement 
commemorative of the deceased, and appropriate resolutions, and move this court 
to make such resolutions and statement subjects of record thereof an enduring tes- 
timonial to the memory and worth of the departed. 

Elsie L. Bennett, deceased at her home in this city. May 28, 1893. .She was the 
daughter of Charles and Chloe Holloway, and was born at Hounsfield, in the county 
of Jefferson and State of New York, January 23, 1822. On the 28th of November, 
1844, she was married to John R. Bennett, now the judge of the Twelfth judicial 
circuit court of the State of Wisconsin. In the year 1848, with her husband, she be- 
came a resident of Janesville, in the State of Wisconsin, then a comparatively new 
settlement, where she has ever since resided, and where her "sweet and gentle in- 
fluence" rendered her coming a blessing, not only in her home and to the immedi- 
ate family circle of which she till her death has been the acknowledged center and 
guide, but to all who have had the good fortune to know her. She was the true 
Christian, imbued by nature with love, faith, hope and charity, wherewith she con- 
quered, and led the way in the proper and pleasant paths of life. These qualities 
not only afforded us pleasant glimpses of happy domesticity, but shone out brightly 
in her contact with the world at large and impressing all with her supreme worth in 
the fulfillment of her mission of virtue, morality, mercy and charity. 

Though abounding always in love, faith and good works, Mrs. Bennett was also 
endowed by nature, cultivated by study and reflection, with highly discriminating 
qualities of mind, and was quick to detect and with mercy admonish fraud and im- 
position, and commend and reward virtue. For nearly fifty years of married life 
she was the safe and judicious advisor, counsellor and guide, in temporal as well as 
spiritual matters, of her noble husband, who in God's providence has been left to 
mourn her departure hence, in death, as in life, to lead him in the pleasant paths 
leading to that celestial home prepared "from the foundation of the world." 

Rixdli'iil, That in the. death of Mrs. P21sie L. Bennett, the Rock County Bar As- 
sociation is called to deplore the loss of the beloved wife of the honored judge of 
the Twelfth judicial circuit court of the State of Wisconsin, and to unite in express- 
ing our individual ai)preciation of her many virtues and good works and deep-felt 
respect for her memory. 

litS'ili'ril^ That we, as individual members of said association, cherishing for her 
memory a profound admiration and affection, jjroffer to her bereaved husband and 
daughters our sincere sympathy and condolence in this their supreme affliction. 

RoK,,} I'lil ^ That these proceedings, as a testimonial to her worth be made matter 



BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



of record in the circuit court for Rock county, and that certitied cojjies be, by the 
clerk of this court, directed to the other courts of this judicial circuit. 

Rexolvcd, That the chairman of this association and the clerk of this court be a 
committee to communicate these proceedin>rs and the condolence of this bar to the 
husband and daughters of the deceased. 

R,'S()l,i\'d^ That these proceedin<rs and resolutions i)e published in the several 
papers of this city. 

B. B. Eldredge, 1 
John Winans, [• Committee. 
A. A. Jackson, ) 

"Are there any remarks to be made on these resolutions?" asked Judo^e Sloan, 
as Mr. l^ldredy^e finished reading. William Ruger arose amd spoke as follows : 

" May if P/casc the Court, Brethren of the Bench and Bar: When a mortal life, 
journeying so near our own pathways ends in the sleep and rest of death, it is fitting 
that we should pause to express our tribute of respect, and our sympathy with those 
who remain to mourn. I say remain to mourn, but on this occasion it is a most 
comforting retU-ction that those sc^ referred to do not mourn as for an everlasting 
separatioiL They are not faithless, hopeless waiters for such end to come to them. 
We know that our honored jiresiding judge will wait and continue his life's journey, 
comforted by the blessed hope, founded on well assured faith, that the painful part- 
ing that now afflicts him is but temporal, soon to be followed by a reunion which 
shall he eternal. We cannot in weak impromptu words fittingly express either our 
tribute of respect for the beloved one at rest or our sympathy with our honored 
judge and those of his household in their hour of trial. I'or this I must rely upon 
the more appropriate and deliberate expression made by the memorial which has 
been presented. I heartily second the motion that such memorial be entered on 
record for an enduring testimonial of our tribute of respect and of our symi)athy. " 

William .Smith followed Mr. Ruger, speaking as follows: 

'' May it Please the Court : 1 have been thinking, while listening to the resolu- 
tions and remarks of members of the bar, that human language had failed to keep 
u]), in the march of time, with the other developments of the human race. Surely, 
what is best in us, what best marks the progress of our race, is its love, tenderness 
and sympathy; and in that respect it occurs to me that human language has failed, 
in its development to express the development of our race upon its best side. Per- 
haps it is better that it should be so. Some things, — the greatest, the deepest and 
the grandest, -are best expressed by silence. The oak in its grandeur; the ocean 
when placid and mild; the river as it flows gently to the sea; perhaps in their si- 
lence best express their greatness and grandeur. And when we come to occasions 
of this kind perhaps it is well that our language fails us. But it is well that we all 
can realize that that which is best within us is awakened; that the sympathy, the 
kindreil and fraternal feeling of those associated together in the work of perfecting 
the science of the law, join together and go out to the honored judge of this circuit 
in this great hour of trial, suffering and pain." 

" If there are no further remarks to be made on this occasion," said Juilge Sloan, 
"we will close these proceedings. Before doing so 1 feel that 1 ought to say a word 
or two at this time. Having myself but recently [passed through the same sorrow- 
ful circumstances, I feel, as has been intimated by Brother Smith, that language 
fails to express the thoughts that naturally arise upon an occasion of this kind. 
Judge I^ennett, after a married experience of half a century, has been called upon 
in the order of Providence to part with the companion of his life; and he must now 
take up the burden of life's duties in great sorrow and affliction. At such a time we 
older men appreciate more sensibly than can the younger members of the bar the 



REI'RESKNTATIVK MEN UK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 221 

circumstances of sorrow and affliction whicli surround such an event. Ambition, 
earthly hopes, position and wealth, at such times, sink into insij^nificance; and all 
there is left, so far as human agencies are concerned, is the kindness and sympathy 
of our friends and acquaintances. And while Judge Bennett will go on with his 
duties, discharging them in the future as he has in the past, with great ability, with 
fearless honesty and impartiality, he will rely mainly upon the tender memories 
surrounding his home life and upon the sympathy and kindness of his friends, and 
especially the members of the bar. It will brighten his labors, diminish his sorrow 
to receive the e.xpressions of the sympathy, kindness and affection of the members 
of the bar. The resolutions and proceedings will be entered upon the minutes of 
the court, and the clerk will transmit a copy to the members of the family of the 
deceased." 

Judge Bennett had (luring his entire life consistently refused i)()lilical prefer- 
ment, though the entire community desired to bestow upon him such honors as 
were within its gifts. When he was requested to become a candidate for Congress, 
he declined in favor of his partner, Hon. I. C. Sloan, who was elected. This illus- 
trates forcibly the modesty and unselfish nature of the man. 

He has for more than a decade been one of the hardest-working fudges in the 
country, and the general sentiment of the bar toward him is that of unqualified re- 
spect as an upright, conscientious and painstaking Judge. In his charges to juries 
he is guided solely by the facts in evidence and the law applicable to them. Ilis 
decisions are stated in perspicuous and simple language, without any ornament of 
style, and in such a manner as not to be misunderstood. They are always terse 
and concise, and embody the exact words necessary to e.xpress clearly and unmis- 
takably his meaning. 

His transaction of public business has received the highest praise, and he has 
won the distinction of being not only a most learned and accomplished jurist but a 
most worthy citizen. Judge Bennett is an ornament to the bench and bar of Wis- 
consin and the United States. 

It has often'been truthfully saitl that the fame of all great lawyers and advo- 
cates is written in water. The most learned and astute lawyers of the last genera- 
tion are hardly heard of beyond the immediate neighborhood in which they lived. 
But the goal toward which Judge Bennett has hastened during his many years of 
toil and labor is with " those who by patriotism and wise counsel have given the 
world a direction toward good, and they may have their name insrrihtd ujjon the 
bright page of history and be enduring." 

In closing this sketch we cannot do better than to quote the words of a famous 
Judge in commemorating the virtues and achievements of a brother Judge and a 
co-laborer, which expresses most clearly the lofty ideas Judge Bennett always pur- 
sues and the example he wishes to set. 

" May our successors," he said, "look back upon our times not without some 
kind regret and some tender recollection. May they cherish our memories with 
that gentle reverence which belongs to those who have labored earnestly for the 
advancement of the law. May they catch a holy enthusiasm from the review of 



222 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

our attainment, however limited it may be, which shall inspire them with the loftiest 
possession of human learning. And thus may they be able to advance our juris- 
prudence to that degree of perfection which shall make it a blessing and a protec- 
tion through our own country and excite the admiration of mankind." 



COLONEL LIERCULES L. DOUSMAN, 

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN. 

HERCULES L. DOUSMAN departed this life at Prairie du Chien, in the 
State of Wisconsin, on the 12th day of September, 1868. The announcement 
of the event, — the intelligence which was soon spread far and wide that death had 
suddenly stricken a man so long and favorably known throughout the West, was 
productive of deeper sadness throughout the entire State in which he was an 
honored citizen than is usually manifested in a community, when it is made known 
that one of its most prominent members has been unexpectedly called away. In- 
deed, so identified with the Territorial and State history of Wisconsin and Minne- 
sota had he become that his name was a familiar word in almost every household, 
as that of a kind-hearted, high-minded man and a public-spirited citizen. 

Colonel Dousman was born on the island of Michilimackinac, or Mackinac, as 
it is now called, in the year 1800, and was the son of Michael and Catherine Dous- 
man, long and highly esteemed residents of the island, whose soil now covers their 
remains. Our subject was sent to Elizabethtown, New Jersey, to acquire a high- 
school education, and there remained until he had attained the age of eighteen 
years, when he removed to New York and engaged himself as a clerk to a Mr. 
Robinson, a dry-goods merchant in that city. His services in that capacity contin- 
ued for two years, and he then returned to the home of his parents in Mackinac. 
Not long after he was employed as a clerk by the American Fur Company, which 
was under the management of John Jacob Astor, Mackinac being the principal 
depot of that company. 

In 1826 he was despatched to Prairie du Chien as the confidential agent of the 
company, to take charge of the business at that important entrepot of the fur 
trade. Here the great natural abilities of Colonel Dousman, combined with the 
thorough commercial education he had received, displayed themselves in the 
broad and almost limitless sphere to which he had been assigned. Joseph Rolette, 
Sr., was his ostensible superior, inasmuch as he was a partner in the American Fur 
Company, but in reality the commanding talents of Colonel Dousman soon placed 
him in actual control of the business of the company in this region. In fact the 
entire country north and west of Prairie du Chien to the British boundary (except 
the Mississippi valley above the falls of St. Anthony, and the upper St. Croix and 
its branches), with its nipmerous trading stations and fur traders and other employes, 
was tributary to that post until the year 1834, when a new and different organiza- 
tion was effected. 



KKI'KKSKNIATIVK MKN OK IlIK IINITEI) .STATKS; WISCONSIN VOLDMi:. 225 

It required a man of sound and cultivated jud^^nnent and of great executive 
al)ility to systematize operations in so extensive a district, embracing thousands of 
Indian hunters, belonging to distinct and separate tribes, wild and savage in dispo- 
sition, and even more addicted to inter-tribal wars than to tlic chase Among 
these discordant and belligerent bands were stationed at intervals, more or less 
regular, the fur traders and voyageurs of the great company entrusted with mer- 
chandise, amounting in the aggregate to many hundreds of thousands of dollars 
annually. None but those familiar with the ramifications and intracacies of the 
trade with wild Indians in early days can rightly estimate the business tact and 
energy requisite to bring order out of confusion, and to reduce to a proper working 
system the operations of traffic in so wide a field. No higher tribute can be paid 
to the surpassing abilities of Colonel Dousman as a buiness man than the mere 
mention of the fact that he was successful in his efforts to effect an organization 
almost perfect in all its parts. 

A biography of Colonel Dousman, commencing with his advent into the uf)per 
Mississippi valley, would not fall far short of Wisconsin and Minnesota history. 
Although there was probably no office in the gift of the people of the State to which 
he could not have successfully aspired, he made it a rule of his life never to accept 
public positions. Nevertheless, so widely and favorably was he known that his 
advice with reference to the management of Indian affairs in the Northwest was 
largely sought by high dignitaries of the general Government, and if that advice 
had always been followed many grave errors would have been avoided. During 
his connection with the American Fur Company, of New York, and subsequently 
as a partner in the extensive firm of Pierre, Choteau & Company, of St. Louis, 
to whom the interests of the former corporation were transferred in 1843, Colonel 
Dousman was brought into close relation with the VVinnebagoes, Menomonees, 
some of the lower bands of .Sioux, and a portion of the Chippewas; and his influ- 
ence, especially over the first-named bands, was almost without limit. The 
Winnebagoes were regarded as the most turbulent and dangerous of the wild 
Western savages, and nothing but the benign rule under which they were brought 
by Colonel Dousman prevented outbreaks of violence which would necessarily 
have resulted in great destruction of life and property among the white settlers. 
His tact, sagacity and consummate knowledge of Indian character were displayed 
on many a critical occasion, when a collision seemed inevitable, and the services he 
thus rendered in the cause of peace were the subject of public recognition by 
Government officers, both civil and military. 

General Alexander Macomb, formerly in chief command of the United States 
army, held him in high estimation, as did General Brooke, who in after years com- 
manded the Department of the Upper Mississippi, with headquarters at Prairie du 
Chien, and their policy in the management of the Indian tribes of the Northwest 
was that recommended ordinarily by Colonel Dousman. The attempts of the 
Government to negotiate treaties with the Winnebagoes were often frustrated by 
the jealous suspicions of their chiefs and head men, and their great reluctance to 
sell their lands, and it was almost impossible to succeed in that direction without 
first securing the consent and influence of the individual who was the trusted friend 



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w'll hont (list inti 1011 ol 1 ,itc. 

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lie well. HC, So eoiuinicd wcic the people .il I.Hs^c ol his imsweiA ini; inlej^rit \' . 
lh.it il he h.id assented lo ihe soluii.H ions ol his liiends to Ix-tdine .1 e.Hidiil.iIe lor 
hiidi pnMit positions he wcnltl imt|iiesl ion,il>l\ h,i\e tcici\cd the soles t>i \ei\ 
in,Ul\ who dilleied lit>m him m ptilitiis. 

W'hen the w.ir t>l the iel>ellit>n lunsl npon the fomUi\, the peist>ii,il iiilhientc 
,Hitl the pulse ol ('t>lt>iiel l>oiisin.in were east intt> the st.de 111 l.ivoi ti| the I ineoln 
.itlminisi 1 .11 1011, .Hitl lew piix.ile filit'iis .iceoinplisheil mt'ie ih.m hmisell in arous- 
ini; the people (>l his seeiuin hi ilu' emeis;ent\ t>l the peiil, .iiul in eiiuippii\^ ft'^i'i- 
miMlts loi ihe lield, Il w ,e< his e.iinesi fon\ it I ion I h.il 11 w .is i he diit \ of e\riv 
m.in in the t omn\ui\ity to devote his nieans ami his eneii^ies it> m.iinl.iinini; int.ut 
the inie^Miu ti| the l'\'der.d I'nion. 

l't>lonel I V>nsm.in w.is a In m liieiul ttl his own rerrilor\ .iiul Sl.ite. Inti 
ilMteU .u'tiiLiinled .IS he w.is wiili the tt>pt>LM .iph\ t>l ihe it>iinlr\ .iiitl its \ .ist 
rapacitx loi puitlm litin. he .itl\ tn-.iietl its tl.Hins lo foiisulei .U it>n .iiul puslu letl ihe 
hrilli.Hil liilme t>l Mimiesoi.i wuh.ill 1 he ent luisi.ism t>t .111 oKl seiilei. \e\t tt> 
his own Si.iif. lo wluth hew.isevi-i lti\ .il. his .ilfeti uMis were Ix'slowed upon tile 
\(>uni;cr sistrr ol Miiuiesot.i. .iiul his memi>r\ merits .1 w.iim plaee ill the hearts of 
the peopU> of Minn«>sota for the ,in\iet\ he m.inilesietl. .huI the «>lYorts he inadt> to 
advatu'e ihrir inattMial iiiton-sts. Nortiiwcstei i» \\ isootisin has also ^ooA eauso to 
elu-rish liiin in matelHil mneinluaiur. I'or many yt-ars an (n\ ium" of steamers on 
the upper Mississippi, he aeeomplished miuh in direetiiii^ miijration and Inisiness 
to her ports; and hut for his unfeniittiii>i exertions and the liberal ontlay from his 



I'l.lKKSKNl Al IVK MKN OF TIIK IINriKI) SIAIKS; WISCONSIN VOI.OMK. 227 

own resources in .ml ol inlr-i |,i i ,i-, lli'- r.iilw.iy from M il w.nik«i- lo I'i.um' iln ( lil<ii 
tlialnrc.il tlioron^lil.iri- ol lr.i\'l .md I r.iii .porl.il ion, woiiM li.i vi k in.iincij loni.'. 
tinconslrn( tc(|. 

Ill |X,}4, { oloiicj l)oiisiii;in was nnili-d in nianiai^c lo i||c widow of liis former 
parliier in business, lose^li Kol<-lle, Si., wlio rlied some ycais |>revions, She was a 
native of I'rairie dn ( liien, and, wil li I In- exceplion of an occasional ahsence, re- 
sided then- niilil lier de.iiji in 1SS2, al llie a^^e of seveniy-cj^rlit years. Tlw issue of 
this union was a son, lioin in 1S4K, who died in iX.Sf), ;it the early u^rt- of ihirly- 
seven, ;ind who hon- the name and possessed m.iny of the cliar.u lerist,i( s of his 
l.ither. Ilis l)if);(ra|)hy will l)e fomid in this v(»lnine. 

Mis strict hiisiness hahils and tin- many opiHjrInnities afforded in a new and 
r.ipidly ^rowiiiK ri-^\()\\ for jndi( ions investments enahled him to amass an ample 
fortune. While he vvas always liheral in his conlrihiilions to relij^ioiis and ( liari- 
tahle o|)i<( Is, and noted ffir his hosiiilality, Colonel I )oiismaii was hy no means 
^iven to extravat^ance, nor <Iid he eiifourai^e it in those within tin- sphere of his 
iiiMueiKe. Many men have heeii inde|,|cd for their prosperity to the per iiniary aid 
and wis(! direction they received from iiiiu in lime ol u' < d. 

At his death ('<jlonel l)r)iismaii hft l,ehind no enemies to exult in his sudden 
dep.iriiirr; from the r;arth, hut many dear relatives and warm friends lo laiiKMit the 
loss of one whose place can nev<;r he hlled in their .affei lion ,. All that was mortal 
of his imposing form and presencr; now lies mouldering; in the (emeicry h<* hiinsr-lf 
drjnated to the (Catholic (.!hnrch at j'rairir- dn ( liien, ;i.nd the ina(.(iiifif:ent marhle 
nu>nunu!nt <;re( ted l»y |r)vinK hands to ( r>mineuior.ite his virtues will hav; hecfniie 
dim .iiid tarnished hy time lon(.( ere ih<- retueuihrancc of his nohle example shall 
((.ise to exercise an influence on the ((Miimunity of which lie was an honored 
mrmher. 



llO.X.'i I.MO'i IIV I',. RVA.V, 

WADKI'.SIIA. 

''I^I.VlOi HY hJ)\V,\l<b KYA.N was horn in tin: town of r.n:c-nvyich, VVashiiiKion 
1 <:rjunty, New Y<jrk, on the loth day (jf January, 1S59 and is a son of Jeremiah 
arul Johanna (Oonin) Ryan, the ff>rmer a farmer hy occupation. Our snhject at- 
tended a school at (ireenwich until 1S72, when his father removed with the family 
to Wisconsin, and hxaterl on a farm north of the village of I'ewaiikee. Here our 
suhje<:t at once < mnmeiK ed his studies in the |>nhlic schf^ols, aiul supplem<nted his 
early e<lu<ational trainint.; with a course in the Sfjencerian business (.'ollej^e of Mil- 
waukee. Durinji the winter seasons of the succe<tdin^( six years he taiij^ht in the 
pnhlic sfhools of Waukesha county, and afterward, havin(< decided to enter the 
field of jurisprudence, he hecame a student in the law office of Vanl)yke ^t Van 
Dyke, of Milwaukee. Here he remained for one year ;ind then took the law course 
in the Wiscruisin .State University, at .Marlison, ;(raduatint( at that inslitutir>ii in the 
class of lS8s, after which he at once- entered upon wh.it was destined lo prove a 



228 BIOGKAl'lllCAI. DICTIONARY AND I'OKIKAIT GALLERY OK THE 

most lucrative practice. lie formed a partnership with P. H. Carney, of Wauke- 
sha, which continued for four years, and upon its dissoKition he became associated 
with E. Merton, of Burlinjjton, Wisconsin, Mr. Ryan being senior member of the 
firm, which carried on business under the style of Ryan & Merton. 

In addition to his law business, Mr. Ryan has other interests. He is president of 
the Waukesha Dispatch Publishing Company, a member of the firm of Hardy & 
Ryan, abstracters, and president of the Waukesha Summer Trotting Association. 

In his religious faith, he is a Catholic, a consistent member of the church, and 
holds membership with the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin and the Catholic Order 
of Foresters. Politically he is a stanch believer in the principles and doctrines of 
the Democratic party, and is one of the most prominent of its younger members in 
the State. For five years he held the office of Town Clerk of Pewaukee, and since 
his removal to Waukesha he has been a delegate to numerous party conventions> 
where he is always one of the leaders, his opinions being received with considera- 
tions. In 1888 he was the Democratic candidate for Attorney General of Wiscon- 
sin, and later the candidate for District Attorney of Waukesha county. In 1890 he 
received the support of the Waukesha delegation at the Congessional convention 
held in Juneau, Dodge county, and in the year 1892 he came within one vote of re- 
ceiving the nomination for Congress in the convention held at Cedarburg, Ozaukee 
county. The esteem in which he is held by members of his party is thus readil)' ob- 
served, and one would not need the gift of prophecy to predict that higher honors 
yet await him. The last Presidential election found Wisconsin under the banner of 
Democracy, and this result was brought about largely through the efforts of such 
worthy members of the party as our subject. 

On the 5th of October, 1887, Mr. Ryan was united in marriage to Miss Mary 
Bannon, of Waukesha, and three daughters have been born of their union, namely: 
Marguerite, Katherine Frances and Agnes Josephine. In all the relations of life 
Mr. Ryan has ever been found an honorable, upright gentleman, and his public and 
private life is alike above reproach. 



PATRICK CUDAHY, 

MILWAUKEE. 

1)ATRICK CUDAHY, the subject of this memoir, was born in Callan, in the 
county of Kilkenny, Ireland, on the 17th day of March, in the year 1849. His 
mother's maiden name was Shaw, and she was a very amiable and estimable woman. 
She was by nature gifted with a great heart and great sensibility, domestically and re- 
ligiously inclined. She was deeply attached to her husband, family and friends, 
and to her church. It is needless to say that the impress of the mother's character 
is strongly stamped on that of the son. The father of Mr. Cudahy, while in Ire- 
land, was engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was a man of eminent respecta- 
bility; his character as a man and his reputation for integrity were never questioned. 
He was a man of fine presence, tall of stature, and in all respects of fine physical 
mold; he would indeed have attracted attention anywhere. He was an ardent 





L^<_-CU^^ 




KKI'RKSKNTATIVK MKN OK IIIK IINITKI) STAIKS; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 23I 

Catholic, always faithfully devoted to his church. He also continued through life a 
lover of his native country, and this also inii)lics lluit he was warniiy attached lo 
the land of his adoption. 

The subject of this sketch came with his ])arents, together with the other mem- 
bers of the family, to this country in the year 1849, when he was but a few 
months old, and from that time forward Milwaukee has been his home. 

Mr. Cudahy is one of six children, five of whom still survive: Michael antl John 
Cudahy, of Chicago, are too well known to require any elaborate mention. Through 
the sheer force of industry, integrity, innate and commanding talent they have 
carved out for themselves an enviable ])<)sition in the business world of America. 
They stand consjjicuous among the financial magnates of the land. Edward Cud- 
ahy, one of the brothers, resides in Omaha, and is associated in business with his 
brother Michael in that city. He has also been eminently successful in life, and 
possessing as he does the characteristics of his brothers, he, like them, is destined 
to become a very wealthy man and useful citizen. Catherine, the only sister, dedi- 
cated her life to religion. She became eleven years ago a member of the order of the 
Good Shepherd, and was known in religion as Sister Mary of St. Stanislaus. She 
died in January, 1892. William Cudahy, the second youngest brother, died at the 
age of thirty-seven. Before his death, however, he became a leading business man 
in the city of Milwaukee. 

As we have said, Milwaukee has been the home of Patrick Cudahy since almost 
the date of his birth. He is essentially a Milwaukee man and is proud of it. He 
received a limited education in the common schools of the day. At twelve years of 
age he was compelled to work in the summer, and he went to school in the winter 
when there was no work to be had. His first employment of any consequence was 
with a retail grocer, on the corner of Grand avenue and Fifth street in this city. 
He waited on customers in the forenoon, and delivered goods in the afternoon with 
a two-wheeled cart. He worked from seven in the morning until nine at night, for 
which he received the mere pittance of $1.50 per week. 

His first employment in the meat business was with Kdward Roddis, a promi- 
nent beef and pork packer, along in the '60s. From this he went to work for 
Messrs. Layton & Company in the capacity of weigher, or, as more generally termed, 
scaler, for which he received $75 per month. This was in 1870. At this time there 
was little if any summer packing, and consequently men employed in the jjacking 
house during the winter were oljliged to look for something else to do in the sum- 
mer months. Mr. Cudahy being ambitious and desirous to succeed, undertook to 
learn the trade of stone-cutting. Before making much progress in this he received 
a position as superintendent of a pork-packing house of Lyman & Company. Here 
he continued for about a year. 

About this time Philip D. Armour, who was then in partnership with the late 
Mr. Plankinton, moved to Chicago to take charge of his brother's business. Mr. 
Armour induced Mr. Michael Cudahy, who was then in the employ of Plankington 
& Armour, to go with him to Chicago. This left a vacancy in the house of Plank- 
ington & Armour in Milwaukee, which, fortunately for Patrick Cudahy. he was 
called upon to fill. This was the turning point in his career. 



232 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

He took (.-haro^e of tlu' slau*:jhtrria^ ami packiii^^ csuiblishincnt of Plankini^ton 
& Annoiir in 1874, at a salary of $^,000 per year, and so continued until 1S78, at 
which time he was admitteil as partner, and jjiven one-sixteenth interest in the bus- 
iness, the capital stock bein<i; then $700,000. In 1883 his interest was increased to 
three-sixteenths, and in 1886 he became a full partner with Mr. Plankington, the 
name of the firm being John Plankington & Company. 

In 1888 Mr. John Cudahy purchased Mr. Plankington's interest in the said firm, 
and the name of the firm then became Cudahy Brothers, continuing as such until 
October, 1893, when it was incorporated as the Cudahy Brothers Company, with an 
authorized capital of $2,000,000, of which $1,200,000 is paid up. Of this corporation 
our subject is the president and the owner of sixty per cent, of the stock. As early 
as i8qi the Messrs. Cudahy got options on acreage property two miles south of Mil- 
waukee, now known as Cudahy, and a year later purchased 700 acres of land there, 
with a frontage of two miles on Lake Michigan. Buildings were at once started, 
and in October, 1893, were finished and active operations begun. 

The plant is with one exception the largest in the country, covering fifteen 
acres, and having a daily capacity of 7,000 hogs and 500 cattle. They have their 
own fire department and a pumping station whereby lake water is distributed 
throughout the property. The balance of the land outside of that occupied by the 
packing plant belongs to the Cudahy Land and Investment Company, capitalized 
at $1,000,000 Of this company Mr. Cudah}' is also president. The town of Cudahy 
is a flourishing suburb, with hotel, stores, etc., and most of the 600 i»)j)h>i/es of the 
Cudahy Brothers Compan}' reside there. 

The Cudahy Building & Loan Association is also an important enterprise, the 
presidency of which is filled by Mr. Cudahy. The stockholders of this concern are 
almost all ctup/ayl-s of the packing company. 

The product of the Cudahy Brothers Company is found in every market, nearly 
sixty per cent, of it is exported, and the remainder is either sold in Milwaukee, or 
consigned to the eight branches of the company in the South. 

The number of employes aggregates 600, and, as is readily understood, it of a 
necessity requires a man of great executive ability to manage the various details 
connected with its great volume of business. 

This is a brief and imperfect narrative of the business career of Mr. Patrick 
Cudahy up to the present time. That it has been eminently and honorably success- 
ful it is needless to state. He is pushing well to the front and bids fair to become 
one of the wealthiest men of our city, ami his wealth is not the result of inheritance, 
but of honest, laborious and intelligent acquisition. Mr. Cudahy's success in life 
was inevitable, because, among other things, he inherited from his parents those 
qualities of intellect and heart which, when properly directed as in his case, render 
failure on the part of such a man veritably impossible. He would have made a suc- 
cess in any pursuit in life which he might have undertaken. 

It is not difficult to analyze the character of such men as Mr. Cudahy. There 
is nothing complicated^or mysterious in the make-up of such men. Judicious econ- 
omy, integrity and good sense and untiring industry are among the most conspicu- 
ous traits of his character. He is by nature essentially a business man, and a busi- 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES) WISCONSIN VOLUME. 233 



ness man ii|)(jn a ^raiid scale. Somewhat of liis success is no doubt clue to his early 
training in the school of adversity, and this is, in a measure, true of the majority of 
millionaires in the Union. Adversity is after all but a blessing in disguise to those 
who have the courage and fortitude to rise above it. 

Mr. Cudahy is still but a young man, being but forty-five years of age, and this 
makes his success all the more remarkable. He is a gentleman of singularly pre- 
possessing appearance, far above the average in weight and height, of comely feat- 
ures and pleasing address. Winning and kindly in his way he is perhaps without 
an enemy in the world. Modesty is perhaps one of his most striking characteris- 
tics. He is by nature a very benevolent man, but his benevolence is never ostenta- 
tiously paraded. 

In religion he is a Roman Catholic. He is both from sincerity and conviction 
a faithful adherent of his church. He is and has always been in politics a Demo- 
crat, but is in no sense a rabid or intolerant politician. His nature is too liberal 
for that. 

Mr. Cudahy was married in 1877 to Miss Annie Madden, and to this union have 
been born nine children, eight of whom are now living. The marriage has been an 
unusually happy one. Mrs. Cudahy in her personality, possesses in a marked de- 
gree, all the better elements of her sex. She is a native of Wisconsin, and a wo- 
man of culture and education; by nature, charitable and benevolent. She is in 
the main domestic in her tastes and habits, always on the alert to render home happy 
for her husband, herself and their children. Like her husband she is devotedly 
attached to her church. Indeed, in all respects the Cudahy home is one of the 
model homes of Milwaukee. 

Fortune has certainly dealt kindly with Mr. Cudahy. All the blessings which 
fall to the human on earth would seem to be his. His life is simply a living illus- 
tration of what marked ability can accomplish when accompanied by moral recti- 
tude, spotless integrity and untiring industry. 



JOSEPH VILAS, 

M.VMTOWOC. 

PROBABLY no resident of Wisconsin has led a more active business life than 
has Joseph Vilas. He has successfully controlled many large and important 
enterprises and has ever displayed managerial abilities of a high order. He has so 
conducted all affairs of which he had charge as to merit the confidence and esteem 
of all interested, and his name is now, and has been for several decades, a synonym 
for business integrity. He was born in Ogdensburg, St. Lawrence county, New 
York, March 31, 1832, and is a son of Joseph and Mary A. (White) Vilas. The 
Vilas family in America was founded by Peter Vilas, who was born in England, 
February 24, 1704. 

The boyhood clays of Joseph were passed ui)on iiis father's farm, and he at- 
tended district school imtil he was twelve years cjld. I'cjr the four years following 



^34 HlOCKAI'llUAl. IMCllONAKV AND I'OK 1 KAll' GAl.l.KKV OK I'llK 



he was a stiulcnt in llic O^titnsbury Acailcmy. At the age of sixteen he entered 
In ion College, Schenectady, New York, then under charge of the learned pre- 
coptor. Doctor Kliiihalct Knott. His collegiate course was interrupted at the end 
ol two \fars by proti actcil iiliu-ss in his father's family. While he was a student at 
college gold was discovered in California, and the "gold feyer" became epidemic 
among the boys of his age. Several of his companions left college to go to the 
mines, and he was very desirous of accom|>anying them, but the wise counsel of 
his father prevailed antl he gave up the idea. 

In 1852 Mr. Vilas visiteil Manitowoc, Wisconsin, where his sister, Mrs. Piatt, 
resided. His inclination pointed to the law as his future life work, and he intended, 
as soon as his visit was over, to return to C\gdensburg and study law. Manitowoc 
was at that time a village of a few hundred inhabitants, and its school was unpro- 
vidinl with a teacher. Mr. \ ilas was urged to act in that capacity, and was pre- 
vailetl upon to accept. He soon became accustomed to the ways of the West, and 
being of a social disposition admired the freedom from restraint and convention- 
ality on the part of the people, and determined to renounce his intention of study- 
ing law and to remain in Manitowoc. After teaching school for three months he 
entered the mercantile establishment of Piatt & Brother, of which firm his brother- 
in-law. jarvis E. Piatt, was the senior member, and at first acted as bookkeeper. 
He at once displayed business ability of a high degree and soon secured an interest 
in the business, which was continued as Piatt, Brother & Company, and later as 
Piatt (S: X'ilas. At that time railroads had not yet been constructed in northern 
Wisconsin, and the commerce conducted on the inlanti seas made Manitowoc a 
prosperous business point. Not only was a large mercantile business conducted by 
the firm, but lumber manufacturing, ship building and shipping with a large fleet of 
vessels were also enterprises which they carried on. After disposing of his interest 
in the business of Piatt & Vilas. Mr. \'ilas engaged in the manufacture of lumber, 
shingles, woolen goods and tlour. All of these manufacturing enterprises were 
closed out many years ago, and he has sinct^ tlien been interested in larger under- 
takings in Wisconsin and elsewhere. 

Mr. \'ilas is the parent of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad, the 
first railroad built along the lake shore north of Milwaukee. About iSjo he con- 
ceived the plan of building a railroatl from Milwaukee and the Northwest, via 
Manitowoc, to Appleton. With him to think has been to act, and he at once laid 
plans to begin work. He constructed the road from Milwaukee to Appleton with 
a branch to Two Rivers, a total of i ;o miles of track. He invested of his private 
means in the enterprise and was tlie only individual resident of the State to put a 
dollar into it at that time. A full account of all the details of the building of this 
road would alone fill a volume, but, as an illustration of Mr. Vilas' progressive spirit, 
his intlomitable will and his power of overcoming obstacles, a brief description of 
some of the details is herein inserted. To construct a railroad, money must be the 
first thing obtained. In addition to his personal investment in the enterprise. Mr. 
\ ilas i>btained adtlitional^ aid from Eastern financiers whom he interested in his 
project. Some financial assistance was donated bv some of the counties through 
which the road passed. To obtain this aid it was essential that bonds should be 



kKl'KKSKNTA'llX K MKN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 235 

voted, and Mr. \'ilas personally used his influence, by public speeches and private 
counsel, to secure the necessary bonds. Manitowoc county voted $250,000 of bonds 
in behalf of the railroad, and the Board of Supervisors insisted that Mr. Vilas should 
become the trustee and custodian of these bonds and refused to issue said bonds 
unless he would so agree. This placed him in a peculiarly responsible position. 
He was president of the railroad company at the time, and so great was the confi- 
dence placed in him that he was requested to act as trustee for his fellow-citizens, 
while at the same time representing the corporation that was the beneficiary. Pre- 
vious to that time railroad bontls had been issued by several counties in this and 
other States to bogus railroad corporations which failed to build their roads, but 
the courts decided that the bonds must, nevertheless, be paid. Therefore it dis- 
played a most remarkable degree of confidence in the honor of Mr. Vilas to place 
with him, the representative of the railroad interests, the bonds as trustee for the 
county. 

The railroad between Milwaukee and Appleton was l)uilt entirely under Mr. 
\ ilas' personal supervision. He sulvlet none of it to contractors, but kept it all 
under his charge, hiring his men and foremen by the day. F"or four years he acted 
as president of the road. At the end of that time the road reverted to the bond- 
holders, and Mr. Vilas resigned the presidency and was succeeded by Mr. Rhine- 
lander. He continued to act as a member'of its board of directors, and participated 
in its management until it was absorbed by the Northwestern system, in 1892. 

While president of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad, Mr. Vilas 
and his associates laid out what was then the village of Ledyard, but is now known 
as the South Side of the city of Kaukauna. At that time he purchased a tract of 
land extending a mile along the Fox river, where there is a fall of fifty-two feet to 
the mile, and he also purchased some 800 acres in and about the village. Later he 
bought his associates' interests, and afterward sold a half interest in the property 
to parties in New York, — the same men whom he had interested in his railroad 
enterprise. They organized the Kaukauna Water-Power Company, of which Mr. 
\'ilas is president, and V. W. Rhinelander vice-president. Among the sfockholders 
are Senator McPherson, of New Jersey; Morris K. Jessup, Samuel S. Sands & Com- 
pany, and others of like prominence. Mr. Vilas still owns one-half of the property. 
The power has been improved by the construction of a canal that cost $200,000, and 
furnishes power to a number of important manufacturing estaijlishments. One of 
these is that of the Badger Paper Company, of which Mr. Vilas is also president, 
and of which he is half owner. He has been actively interested in many other 
enterprises. F"or several years he was president of the New York & Straitsville 
Coal and Iron Company-, which owned mines at Shawnee, Perry county, Ohio. 
These were known as the Vilas mines, the coal obtaining a wide reputation as 
"Vilas coal." He was also the sole proprietor of the Vilas Iron Company, of Shaw- 
nee, which manufactured pig iron. This he sold out in 1881 or 1882. He was at one 
time president of the Eagle Tube Company, of New York, which has since become 
a very important enterprise, now located in Hoboken, New jersey. He has also 
been interested in gold and silver mining, and with his associates owned mines and 
stamp mills in Pinal county, Arizona. His partners in this enterprise included sev- 



236 mOGRArillCAL DICTIONARY AND rORTRAIT OAl.I.KRY OK IlIE 



eral prominent railroad officials, among whom was David Dows. Although they 
produced large quantities of the precious metals the mines were unprofitable, owing 
probably to the absence of railroad facilities. Mr. Vilas was appointed to visit the 
mines and to use his judgment in all matters pertaining thereto. He stopped work 
in the mines and leased the stamp mill, then returned to New York and reported 
progress. Mr. Vilas is also at present half owner of the Quineseck Falls Company, 
which operates large pulp mills on the Mcnomonee river. 

Tolitically, Mr. Vilas affiliates with the Democratic party. He was i)resident of 
the village of Manitowoc before its organization as a city, and was also president of 
the Board of Harbor Commissioners, under whose administration the work of im- 
proving the Manitowoc harbor was carried on until it was taken up and completed 
by the Government. He was in the Wisconsin Senate, representing Manitowoc and 
Calumet counties, during the years 1863 and 1864. During the Rebellion he was 
stanch in his patriotism and acted as draft commissioner at Manitowoc. In 1868 he 
was his party's candidate for Representative in Congress, of the Fifth Congressional 
district of Wisconsin, and although opposed by the Hon. Philetus Sawyer, one of 
the most popular men in the State, he ran 2,000 votes ahead of the presidential 
ticket headed by Governor Seymour. He has represented his constituents in sev- 
eral party conventions, and in 1872 was a delegate to the Democratic National Con- 
vention at Baltimore, which nominated Horace Greeley for the presidency. In 1893 
he was nominated for the office of Mayor of Manitowoc, while he was away from 
the city, and, although the city has a Republican majority, he was elected. 

July 4, 1837, Mr. Vilas married Mary I'latt, daughter of Moses Smith IMatt and 
Ann Elizabeth (Stillwell) Piatt. Mrs. Vilas is a native of Ogdensburg, New York. 
Her maternal grandfather. Judge Stillwell, was a man of prominence in New York; 
he died some years since, at the age of ninety-seven years. Mr. and Mrs. Vilas 
have one son, Joseph Stillwell Vilas, born in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, December 28, 
1S5S. He was educated at Racine College, under Dr. De Koven, and atChalier In- 
stitute, New York city. He married Miss Emery, of Manitowoc. Two children, 
Joseph Emery and Edward Piatt, have been born to them. Joseph Stillwell Vilas 
resides in Kaukauna, where he looks after his father's interests. 

Mr. V^ilas has spent considerable of his time in New York and abroad, and 
counts a number of friends among the men most prominent in the commercial and 
financial world, and for several years retained a membership in the Union League 
Club of New York. I le has traveled quite extensively over this country and Europe, 
having crossed the Atlantic eight times. He is of an observing mind, and, by deal- 
ing with the people of various countries and sections, he has become a student of 
humanity and looks at all men and all acts through the glass of tolerance and re- 
spect. Personally he is dignified, courteous and magnetic, — ever ready with an at- 
tentive ear to listen to all comers and ever ready to greet a friend or stranger with 
the courteous dignity of a true gentleman. His success in life is attributable to in- 
dustry, perseverance and courage. Quick to act, with him to conceive a plan has 
been to put it into e.xecution. He has from his early youth displayed great self- 
reliance, and no undertaking has been too large or no investment too great to appal 
him, provided he thought the enterprise feasible. He now spends a large portion 





^ 




KEPRKSENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 237 

of liis lime in Manitowoc, where he has a most delightful hi)mc. He is anxious to 
be near his son and grandchildren, and, for that reason more than any other, re- 
sides in his home on the west shore of Lake Michigan. 



EUGENE A. SHORES, 



I^UGENE ADELBERT SHORES was born August 14, 1S45, at New Marl, 
-i borough, Massachusetts, and is the youngest of the two children of Eliphalet 
Eno and Mary (Hawley) Shores, the latter being a member of the well-known 
Hawley family, of Connecticut. The father of Eugene was by occupation a farmer, 
and the former resided at home and attended the district school until twelve years 
of age. This sort of life, however, proved too irksome for one of his active temper- 
ament, and he resolved to strike out for himself and seek his fortune in the West 
He accordingly went to the town of Morris, in Grundy county, Illinois, where his' 
uncle resided, and there he remained for a year, working on a farm in the summer, 
and in the winter attended the village school. 

While in Morris he became acquainted with John Cantield, of Racine, Wiscon- 
sin, now the leading lumberman of Manistee, Michigan, who became attached to 
young Shores, and induced him to accompany him to Manistee, which he agreed to 
do, and at once set out for that city. Arriving in Manistee, he took a clerical posi- 
tion in Mr. Canfield's general supply store, where he remained three years, return- 
ing, however, to Racine for four months each winter, where he would attend school. 

When the war of the Rebellion broke out he was but a mere lad, but the spirit 
of patriotism was strong within him, and regardless of this fact he enlisted in a com- 
pany organized at Manistee, which was later sworn into the service as Company I, 
Third Michigan Volunteer Infantry. 

Mr. Canfield, however, would not permit him to continue a member of the or- 
ganization, because of his youth, and took him out of the company. 

His spirit was not daunted, however, and he proceeded to the city of Chicago, 
where he met a Captain Lytle, of Company I, Twentieth Indiana Infantry, a man 
who had resigned a lucrative position as chief engineer of a railroad to accept the 
comparatively humble one of Captain in the army, and with his new-found friend 
he went to Valparaiso, Indiana, where on June 17, 1861, he enlisted in Captain 
Lytle's company, and on the fourteenth day of the following August (his sixteenth 
birthday) was sworn into the service of the Government, at Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Thirty-three years later, this stripling soldier attended the national encamp- 
ment of the Grand Army of the Republic, at the same city, as Department Com- 
mander of the State of Wisconsin. At first he occupied the position of fifer, but 
later entered the ranks, and went to Hatteras and Fortress Monroe, in the same 
year. He served through nearly all the campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, 
joining it after the battle (jf I'air Oaks, or Seven Pines, and remaining until after 
Lee's surrender at .Appomattox. I L; was at Hampton Roads during the great and 



240 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

never-to-be-forgotten naval enijagement between the Monitor and the Merrimac, 
and joined General John E. Wool's division at the capture of Norfolk. 

He was with the portion of the three regiments, comprising seven hundred sol- 
diers, that quelled the mob of nearly 20,000, in New York city, and before he had 
attained his seventeenth year he commanded a troop of men on several important 
expeditions. In June, 1865, he was honorably discharged at Indianapolis, and re- 
turned to his Manistee home. 

But the memories of his four years of service were indelibly impressed upon 
him, and during the changes and vicissitudes of after years his heart was always 
with his fellow-soldiers. He joined the Grand Army of the Republic, and was al- 
ways a prominent figure at its encampments, and in 1893 was elected Commander 
of the Department of Wisconsin. 

Upon his return to Manistee, he once more entered the employ of Mr. Canfield 
as a clerk, and later was promoted to the position of bookkeeper. Two years later 
he had accumulated $2,500, a considerable sum at that time, especially for one so 
young, and he felt quite rich. He decided to go into business on his own account, 
and choosing McGregor, Iowa, as the field of his future operations, he started for 
that place. Arriving there, he erected a grist mill, having as a partner an English- 
man named Davis, who contributed an equal amount of money with Mr. Shores. 

The venture was unsuccessful, and after losing all his money, our subject re- 
turned to Michigan and again began at the foot of the ladder. But he was not dis- 
heartened, and started into retrieve his fallen fortunes. 

He secured employment around the lumber mills at Manistee in whatever ca- 
pacity he could, and continued until 1873, when he again went into business for 
himself — this time in the insurance business. After a successful career of si.x years 
in this line, in which he made quite a snug sum of money, he disposed of his busi- 
ness and again took up lumbering, taking charge of the logging camps, six to twelve 
in number, of Filer & Son, of Manistee, on the Manistee river. This new occupa- 
tion lasted till the spring of 1882, when he went to northern Wisconsin, buying and 
looking up pine lands for Messrs. Canfield and Filer, a position for which he was 
admirably fitted, and which resulted most profitably to all interested. 

The implicit confidence reposed in Mr. Shores' judgment by his principals can- 
not be better illustrated than by the fact that whatever land he recommended being 
bought, they took and paid for, although they had never seen it ; and the amount 
of money required to make these purchases approximated a million dollars. In this 
venture Mr. .Shores continued for seven years. 

In 1887 he helped organize the Northern National Bank of Ashland, one of the 
most prominent financial institutions of northern Wisconsin. When organized, the 
amount of its capital stock was $100,000, and Mr. Shores was the owner of three- 
tenths of it. Since then the capital has been increased to $150,000. Mr. Shores 
was the first president of the bank, and has continued as such until the present time. 
In the fall of 1888 he commenced the erection of thehandsome Shores Block as a 
home for the bank, — the first brick block of any size in Ashland. 

In 1889 the Shores Lumber Company was incorporated, and a modern mill with 
a daily capacity of three hundred thousand feet, was erected. Of this corporation 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 24 T 

Mr. Shores is president and his son, E. A. Siiorcs, Jr., secretary and treasurer. 
None of the company's stock is owned by any but members of Mr. Shores' family. 

The company owns its own loi^ging railway and pine lands, and has a fleet of 
five vessels — two steamers and three tow barges, valued at over $100,000 — tind its 
log cut for i8q3 was 48,000,000 feet, the largest of any of the Ashland mills. 

The product of the mill finds a market in Chicago and the East. The Shores 
Mining Company is another enterprise our subject is interested in, being president 
of that corporation, while his son is secretary. This company owns extensive iron 
properties, that will eventually be a source of great wealth. 

in addition to the foregoing, Mr. Shores owns a vast quantity of pine land in 
northern Wisconsin. 

In June, 1867, at Manistee, Mr. Shores was united in marriage to Miss Emma 
\\ . Caleff, of Lowell, Massachusetts, a lady of many attainments and much force 
of character, and a descendant of the famous Warrens, of New England. Mr. and 
Mrs. Shores have six children: Adella, Eugene A., Jr.. Helen, Ray, Bessie and 
Marshall. The family attend the Congregational Church. In political faith Mr- 
Shores is a strong Republican, but is in no sense a politician. Asa relaxation from 
business, he enjoys hunting and fishing, yet never allows these recreations to inter- 
fere with his duties. 

He has managed to find time to devote to travel, and has been all over the 
United States, including the far West. His home in Ashland is by far the finest 
residence in that city, and is furnished with all that an educated taste and wealth 
can suggest. 

In everything pertaining to the upbuilding of Ashland, Mr. Shores is a prime 
mover and contributor to its success. He is a liberal giver, and there is not a 
phurch society in his city he has not aided financially. Many an individual, also, 
owes his success in life to financial assistance from Eugene A. Shores. 



HON. JAMES A. CURRAN, 

PRAIRIK DU CHIEN. 

JAMES ALOYSIUS CURRAN, the efficient and honored County Judge of 
Crawford county, and one of the influential citizens of Prairie du Chien, was 
born in New York city April 9, 1836. His parents, Bernard and Margaret (Craw- 
ford) Curran, were natives of county Down, Ireland, where the father followed his 
trade of weaving. After coming to America they resided in New York until 1838, 
when they removed to St. Louis, where Mr. Curran engaged in dairying. It was 
there that our subject acquired his primary education, and in March, 1849, he 
moved with his parents to Prairie du Long township, Monroecounty. Illinois, where 
he assisted his father in the management and cultivation of his farm and attended 
school the remainder of the time. In this manner the years passed until 1858, when 
he went to St. Louis, and attended the Christian Brothers' school for a year. At 
the expiration of that time he returned to the farm in Illinois and remained there 
until i860. 

In that year Mr. Curran engaged in the mercantile business in Freedom, .Mon- 



242 BIOGRAl'lIUAl, DICTIONARY AND I'ORTRAIT GAI.l.EKY OF THE 

roe county, Illinois, and after spending a year in this vocation he secured a situa- 
tion with H. C. Jackson, a St. Louis tobacconist, with whom he remained until he 
went, in 1863, to Rolla, Missouri, and took charge of the contraband herd for the 
Government. There he remained until the herd was sold the following winter, 
after which he returned to St. Louis, and later went back to his father's farm. 
During the next few years he taught in the district schools of Illinois, and in i86g 
he removed to Viroqua, Wisconsin, where he obtained a clerkship in the general 
store of N. McKie, continuing in that position until 1873, when he assumed the 
management of a branch store for Mr. McKie in Rising .Sun, Wisconsin. He was 
also Postmaster of that village. In 1877 he resigned his position with Mr. McKie 
and engaged in the hotel business, still retaining the postmastership. In 1889 he 
was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court of Crawford County, and removed to 
Prairie du Chien, which has since been his home. He was re-elected to the same 
office in iSgi, and upon the expiration of that term was elected County Judge for 
the four years' term beginning January i, 1894. He is at the present time engaged 
in the insurance business, in connection with the discharge of his official duties. 

Mr. Curran's political views are strongly Republican, and he has held several 
local offices at different times and places. While in Rising .Sun he served as Town 
Treasurer for four terms and as Town Clerk from 1877 until he resigned in 1889 
upon moving to Prairie du Chien. He was and is a special friend of the Norwegi- 
ans, has done much business for them and speaks their language and also the Ger- 
man tongue very fluently. 

Mr. Curran was married in 1876 to Miss Margaret McCoy of Franklin, Vernon 
county, and to them were born five children, as follows: William Constantine, 
Edna E., Mary, Rosa Ellen and Arthur Bernard. Their home is one of the happi- 
est in Prairie du Chien. 

Mr. Curran is a devout member of the Catholic Church, and in all respects an 
exemplary citizen, whom to know is to esteem. His position of prominence in the 
community in which he dwells is solely the result of untiring energy and indomi- 
tal)le perseverance. He has depended on no outside assistance in rising in the 
world and stands upon his own achievements, — the soul of integrity and honor. 



HON. JOHN C KOCH, 

MILWAUKEE. 

JOHN C. KOCH was born in Germany on the i8th of October, 1841, and until 
thirteen years of age he attended the common schools of his native village. 
In 1854 his father emigrated with his family to the United States, and settled in 
Milwaukee. After a term in the public schools in Milwaukee, our subject learned 
the tinner's trade with his father, with whom he remained until i860. He then 
found employment as a tinner in the hardware house of Messrs. John Pritzlaff & 
Company, and in 18661 was promoted to a clerkship. His energy, industry and per- 
severance attracted the attention of his employers, who rapidly advanced him, and 
in a few years he acquired an interest in the business and took an active part in its 





?~<:^ 



i//i^. 







C^IL^^^ 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 245 

inanairement. In 18S4 the business was incorporated under the name of John 
Pritzlaff Hardware Company, with John Pritzlaff as president, and John C. Koch 
as vice-president and superintendent. Mr. Pritzlaff is still (1894) president of the 
company, but the active management of the business devolves upon Mr. Koch. 

The growth of this business has been truly marvelous; in 1866 the firm con- 
ducted a retail business. To-day the company is conceded to be one of the largest 
wholesale hardware and iron supply houses in the Northwest. This success is 
largely due to Mr. Koch, who has given it his undivided attention, bringing to his 
aid a natural aptitude for business and a determination that stops at no obstacles. 
It ma\- truly be called a monument to his energy, enterprise, industry and commer- 
cial genius. Mr. Koch is also president of the Koch-Loeber Company, of Milwau- 
kee, which does a large business in woodenware and supplies. 

Politically, Mr. Koch is a Republican. He has, through his natural ability, 
force of character and personal magnetism, endeared himself to a large mass of 
people, and in 1892 he was selected as the Republican candidate for the Lieutenant- 
Governorship. He entered upon a personal canvass of the State, speaking in all 
sections, and forming man}' new and steadfast friendships. In 1893 he was selected 
to become the candidate of the Republicans of Milwaukee for the Mayoralt}^ His 
personal popularity enabled him to overcome a large Democratic majority, and to 
defeat his opponent by some thirty-five hundred votes. In 1894 he was re-nomi- 
nated, and again elected by an increased majority. 

His success in the local elections in Milwaukee attracted the attention of 
political leaders in all sections of the .State, and it was conceded by nearly all that 
Mr. Koch was the logical leader of the party for the Governorship of the State. 
His name was so prominently associated with the nomination that political leaders 
declared that when his name was brought before the convention, he would be nom- 
inated on the first ballot. However, Mr. Koch refused to permit his name to be 
used in that connection, and publicly declined to be a candidate before the conven- 
tion, because his business required his personal attention, and he could not attend 
to the affairs of the State and his private interests without one, or both, suffering. 
\'ery few men have ever declined the Governorship of a great State. Mr. Koch, 
however, did so, when he refused a nomination which was equivalent to an elec- 
tion. 

In religious belief, Mr. Koch is a Lutheran, and is a member of the board of 
vestrymen of the Lutheran Church of Milwaukee ; he is also a trustee of Concordia 
College, which is devoted to the education of ministers of the Lutheran faith. Mr. 
Koch is also president of the Milwaukee Exposition ; a director of the Concordia 
hire Insurance Company, and a member of the Advancement Association, com- 
posed of business men, whose aim is the advancement of the commercial and finan- 
cial condition of Milwaukee. 

In 1864 Mr. Koch married Miss Elizabeth Pritzlaff, eldest daughter of John 
Pritzlaff; nine children of this marriage are now living, one son filling a responsible 
position under his father. 

In studying the character and interesting career of John C. Koch, we are first 
led to note his active and comprehensive mind. His record is a remarkable one 



246 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

for its simplicity, its ust^fuliicss, its success. And his commercial prestige is clue 
solely to his own efforts ; by his energy, his industry and preseverance he has risen 
from obscurity to a prominent position among the business men of the Northwest. 
His high sense of honor, his rigid adherence to the principles of fair dealing, and 
his kindly, genial nature, have won for him countless friends. 



CHARLES AUGUSTUS BULLEN, 

EAU CLAIRE. 

C^ A. BULLEN, president of the Daniel Shaw Lumber Company of Eau Claire, 
y* Wisconsin, was born in New Sharon, ^Lline, October 8, 1825, and is the eldest 
son and second child of Joshua and Clarissa (Hoyt) Bullen. His parents were 
among the early settlers of New Sharon and both were of American ancestry. The 
childhood days of our subject were passed upon his father's farm, and he was reared 
to hard and steady work, beginning to do the chores as soon as his strength would 
I)ermit. His early education was obtained in the district school and was supple- 
mented by an attendance for a time at the high schools of New Sharon, Industry 
and New Vineyard. He resided at home with his father until he was twenty-three 
years of age, working on the farm in summers and during the winter season teach- 
ing district school at a salary of from seventeen to twenty dollars a month. 

In the spring of 1849, he followed the advice of Horace Greeley and journeyed 
westward, stopping at first in western New York, where he remained during the 
summer, working on a farm. In September of that year he proceeded further and 
reacheil Chicago, then a small but rapidly growing town. After spending two 
months in wandering over the northern portion of Illinois, Mr. Bullen went to St. 
Louis and located about twenty miles east of that city, in Illinois, where he taught 
school during the winter at $20 per month. In the spring of 1850 he was joined by 
his younger brother, Joseph Addison, and they both concluded to start overland to 
California and seek their fortune in the newly discovered gold fields. They pro- 
ceeded up the Missouri river by boat to St. Joseph and upon their arrival there, 
finding that the season was not far enough advanced to insure a propitious start, 
they went into the country and remained with a planter for a month. 

On the nth of May, 1850, after having provided themselves with a supply of 
provisions, they joined a company of twenty men bound for California. The jour- 
ney was greatly enjoyed by the subject of this sketch, and he even at this time states 
that under the same conditions he would be glad to repeat the same trip. They 
met with no unpleasant incidents, and, although attacks from Indians were feared, 
none occurred. Just after the company crossed the great desert Mr. Bullen and his 
brother found that their provisions were nearly exhausted, and as there was, as they 
supposed, no opportunity for obtaining provisions in the wilderness, they feared 
that they would be forced to endure the pangs of hunger before they reached their 
destination. However, the people of California had been informed that some starv- 
ing emigrants were on the overland route and had sent out a supply train to meet 
them. Upon reaching one of the supply stations Mr. Bullen traded a mule for 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 247 



twenty pounds of flour and tluis obtained a sufficient (|uanlity of food to sujjply their 
needs, until they arrived at Plarerville, on the 13th of Autrust. During the autimin 
and winter of 1850-1, the brothers were located about eight miles from Placervilie. 
I'Vom the outset they were able to earn a little money and out of their first accumu- 
lations they sent $300 home to their father, to insure them enough to return to the 
States in case they should unfortunately be unable to succeed. In the early spring 
of 1851 they journeyed about 200 miles north up to the north fork of the Feather 
river, and in March were blocked in by snow upon what was called Rich bar. They 
ran out of provisions, but were finally enabled to purchase twelve pounds of flour, 
for which they paid $24. That spring they bought a mule and outfit in Sacramento 
and as it was too early for grass, in the mountains, it was necessary to purchase 
provender for the mule, barley being obtained for this purpose at $1 per pound. 

In July, 1851. Mr. Bullen and his brother returned to the American river and 
continued to follow mining until January, 1852, when they determined to return to 
the States. They engaged passage on a steamer bound for Nicaragua and crossed 
that country over the route of the proposed Nicaragua canal. They reached their 
home February 20, 1852, after spending seventeen months in the mines of Cali- 
fornia, and accumulating, above their expenses, $1,700 each. Having become ac- 
customed to the "glorious climate of California," the change to the rigors of a New 
England winter was unpleasant, and for the following two years Mr. Hullen's health 
was poor, owing to change of climate and to the continued use of salt meat and the 
lack of vegetables during the overland trip. 

In April, 1854, Mr. Bullen married Adeline Shaw of Industry, Maine, and im- 
mediately thereafter again came West, locating in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he 
pre-empted eighty acres of land, situated in what is now the city of St. Paul. He 
then began to operate his farm and also to engage in the real-estate business. In 
1856 he became interested in the lumber business that had been established by 
Daniel Shaw, his brother-in-law, Jonathan Clark and Constant Cook purchasing 
Mr. Clark's interest. He fitted out a six-ox team in St. Paul and located a camp 
on what is now the Flambeau farm. In the summer of 1857 he moved his family 
to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and became one of the active members of the firm of 
Daniel Shaw & Company. The business has always been conducted upon sound 
principles and it is one of the important lumber establishments of the Northwest. 
The business was incorporated some years since and Mr. Bullen is now its presi- 
dent. During later years he has placed the responsibilities and cares incidental to 
such a large establishment upon younger shoulders, and, although he still is some- 
what active in its management, he takes life in an easy, quiet manner and enjoys 
that contentment resulting from a self-earned competence and a knowledge of hav- 
ing lived an honorable and worthy life. 

Besides his interest in the Daniel Shaw Lumber Company Mr. Bullen has finan- 
cial interests in lumber establishments in Ashton, South Dakota, Udell, Kansas, and 
1 rinidad, Colorado. 

Politically, Mr. Bullen is a strong Republican, stanch and true in support of the 
party, but, with the exception of filling the position of Alderman during the early 
history of Eau Claire, has never accepted or desired ijolitical honors. He is a 



248 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

inemler of the Temple of Honor and has taken an active interest in temperance 
work. He has never taken alcoholic liquors as a beverage, and is heartily in sym- 
pathy with all movements to benefit mankind. He is a member of and Deacon in 
the Congregational Church, and labors earnestly and faithfully to advance the cause 
of true religion, and has ever endeavored to lead a worthy Christian life. 

Mr. Bullen's first wife died in 1863. She was the mother of six children, four 
of whom, — one son and three daughters, — are still living. In 1865 he was united in 
marriage to Eliza M. Howes, of New Sharon, Maine, and two children blessed this 
union. One daughter is living. 

Mr. Bullen is a self-made man in the fullest sense of the often misused term. 
His success in life is due to his industry and integrity. He has always endeavored 
to make his word as good as his bond and his bond as good as gold. His life has 
always been characterized by purity and honor, and he is a worthy representative 
of that class of men to whom the community owes most of all that is good, — its 
honored and true Christian gentlemen. 



HON. O. M. PETTIT, 



OSSIAN MARSH PETTIT deserves mention among those to whom the pros- 
perity and development of Kenosha is due and in the upbuilding of the city 
he has borne an important part. His wide acquaintance and the high regard in 
which he is universally held will make his life record one of peculiar interest to our 
readers and we gladly give it place in the history of his native State. Mr. Pettit 
was born in Somers township, Kenosha county, on the 28th of June, 1854, and is the 
eldest living child of Hon. Milton Howard and Caroline D. (Marsh) Pettit. His 
father, who was the Lieutenant Governor of the commonwealth of Wisconsin at the 
time of his death, was descended from the French Huguenots who fled from their 
native land in 1685 and sought a refuge in the New World. When our subject was 
but ten months old his parents removed to the city of Kenosha and in its common 
schools he acquired his early education, which was afterward supplemented by 
study in the high school and later in the University of Wisconsin, at Madison. He 
there entered upon the regular three years' course, but his studies were interrupted 
by his father's death, in 1873, ^t which time he was compelled to return home. 
Having the business cares of the estate to attend to, he found it impracticable to 
resume his studies, and he soon after entered upon the duties of a clerkship with 
the firm of M. H. Pettit & Company, engaged in the malting business. He deter- 
mined to master this business in all its details, and applied himself earnestly to the 
task, which he accomplished so successfully that at the time of the incorporation of 
the M. H. Pettit Malting Company in 1885, he was chosen its vice-president. In 
i8q3 he was chosen president and has since filled that position continuously in a 
most creditable and acceptable manner. 

Mr. Pettit has become widelv known through his business interests, but the 



REPRESENTAIIVK MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 249 



|)t-()|)l(' <)l Kciioslia liaxc most reason to I'cmcinlicr him on accoiinl of what he lias 
(lone for the city in the way ot extensi\e and substantial inii)r()vements. In his 
political affiliations he is a Republican, and warmly advocates the principles of that 
party, but has never sought or desired political preferment, in fact long and steadily 
refused to hold office. It has always been the case, however, that when great occa- 
sions arise, demanding great action, there have risen up men capable of meeting 
the emergency; and when a crisis occurred in Kenosha history that demanded a 
man of brains, good business ability and progressive sjiirit, that man was found in 
Mr. Pettit. 

In 1S91, it was found that Kenosha was worse than bankrupt, — that it had a 
deficit of $6,000 which must be met, in addition to the payment of interest on the 
city bonds, and that there was nothing to meet the necessary expenses of the city 
or to furnish much needed pavements. The condition of affairs and their manage- 
ment was a serious question, and it was at this time that the fellow-townsmen of 
Mr. Pettit came to him with the request that he take upon his shoulders the burden 
01 the city's finances and government. Kenosha had been in the control of the 
Democracy for many years and it seemed almost impossible to get that party out 
of power. The Republican party offered to make him their candidate for Mayor, 
l»ut he refused to accept the nomination, and not until it was pointed out to him 
that it was his duty as a citizen to restore if possible the credit of the city, would 
he allow his name to be used. On the 7th of April, 1891, he was elected by a large 
majority, and on the 20th of April took his seat at the head of the City Council, to 
whom he delivered one of the most able addresses ever offered in relation to the 
affairs of city government. His views on all matters pertaining to the city were 
seen to be those of a practical and straightforward business man and his course soon 
won the approval of the best elements in Kenosha, regardless of party afifiliations. 
One of the leading journals in writing of him said: "No municipal body has the 
right to run a city into debt in the face of a constitutional restriction, to say nothing 
of the folly of such a course viewed from a business standpoint. The business of 
the city of Kenosha should be run on a strictly cash basis, and on a cash basis it 
was run while Mr. Pettit was at the helm." When a statement was rendered it 
showed that it paid to have a business administration, as all obligations and debts 
were paid in full, the contemplated improvements made, and more than $27,000 
left in the treasury. After such a showing it was no wonder that the people of 
Kenosha would not allow Mr. Pettit to retire to private life, and he has been twice 
re-elected with increasing majorities. On the 19th of April, 1892, a great calamity 
overtook the city and for several hours it seemed that Kenosha would be entirely 
destroyed by fire. As it was, more than $300,000 were lost in the flames, and but 
for the prompt action of Mayor Pettit in calling for outside help, — which was 
promptly rendered by' Racine, Waukegan, Milwaukee and Harvard, — there would 
have been little left of the beautiful city of which the townsmen are justly proud. 
The debt of gratitude which the city owes him will never be paid, but he will long 
be held in grateful remenil)rance, and much of Kenosha to-day stands as a monu- 
ment to his enterprise, foresight and public spirit. 

Mr. Pettit was married, October 25, 1877, to Miss Alma Elizabeth Robinson, 



250 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

daughter of the late Frederick Robinson, of Kenosha, an accomplished lady of 
sterling mental qualities. Four sons have been born to them: Milton H., Frederick 
R., Betholf M., and John H. The family attend the Episcopal church, of which 
Mrs. Pettit is a devout member. 

Mr. Pettit stands high in Masonic circles, being a thirty-second degree Mason. 
He retains a membership in the blue lodge and chapter of Kenosha, the Racine Com- 
mandery, of which he is Eminent Commander, and the Wisconsin Consistory. He 
takes great delight in travel and spends his leisure time In visiting the various points 
of interest in this country. For a period of nearly forty years he has been a resident 
of Kenosha, and for the last twenty years has been prominently iden tified with its 
business interests, and with its official affairs, of both of which he is an able represen- 
tative. He is a most delightful companion, — genial, jovial and courteous to all. At 
the same time he is a man of force and wonderful tact, — quick to solve intricate 
business problems and to judge their merits accurately. 



HON. (4IDEON C. HfXON, 

LA CROSSE. 

/ 1 lUEON C. HIXON was born at Roxbury, Vermont, March 28, 1826. The early 
VJ^ days of his youth were passed much after the fashion of the average Ameri- 
can boy of those days, and his education was obtained in the common schools. 
While he was yet quite young his father removed with his family to Long Meadow, 
Massachusetts, and our subject went to Springfield, where he served an apprentice- 
ship at the tinner's trade. Shortly after finishing his term of service in this line he be- 
came a contractor, meeting with good success. But his energetic nature would not 
permit him to spend his life in the slow-going villages of New England, and when he 
perceived the opportunities offered by the West, he gave up his Eastern business 
and moved to Illinois, where he pursued his trade, and made money rapidly, losing, 
however, quite an amount In unfortunate coal-mining operations. 

Business called him to the city of St. Louis, and while there his attention was 
directed to the growing lumber business of the upper Mississippi. His brother-in- 
law, W. W. Crosby, had previously settled at La Crosse, Wisconsin, and at that 
point our subject located in 1856. 

In company with Mr. Crosby, and under the firm name of Crosby and Hlxon, he 
built a sawmill, at the mouth of the Black river, and this became Immediately and 
steadily profitable. Later the firm of Hlxon & Withee was formed, the members 
of which, after securing a large tract of pine land, erected a sawmill at Hannibal, 
Missouri, where they controlled what was probabl}' the best lumber market of that 
day, with the most satisfactory results. He was also Interested In the T. B. Scott 
Lumber Company, at Merrill, Wisconsin, and this Investment he considered the 
of the best he ever made. He Invested extensively In Chippewa pine lands, most 
of which he sold on the stump, and at a large profit. Mr. Hlxon was one of the 
organizers of the La Crosse National Bank, and until his death was its president 
and confidential adviser; his sterling character gave that institution strength, credit, 




^4<:^^. 



REPRESENTATIVK MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 253 

and ])()])Lilarit\- from the start, with thi' result that it stands to-day one of the sound- 
est financial institutions in the State. In addition to the foreifoin<r, he was the prin- 
cipal owner of the Listnian Hour-mill, of La Crosse, and larirely interested in the 
Hannii)al Saw Mill Company, at Hannibal, Missouri, and the Gem City Saw Mill 
Comi)any, of Ouincy, Illinois. 

Mr. 1 li.xon was in no sense a politician. It was a sense of his fitness for the posi- 
tion and his individual popularity that caused his fellow citizens to nominate and 
elect him to the State Legislature and Senate, where he represented his district for 
several terms, as well as to various lower offices. 

In everything pertaining to the welfare of the city of his home Mr. Hi.xon was 
deeply interested, and many public movements received substantial encouragement 
at his hands, and many prominent business men in the city of La Crosse to-day 
owe their property to his generosity. But he made no parade of his benefactions; 
they became known not from him, but from the recipient. Public notoriety and 
parade he diligently avoided. 

For over five years previous to his death, Mr. Hixon had been a patient sufferer 
from heart trouble, but not until the spring of 1892 did it interfere with his atten- 
tion to his business. Later he became unable to leave his home, and on the morn- 
ing of September 23, 1892, he passed peacefully away at his home in La Crosse, 
mourned by all who knew him, and honored by all who love integrity of character. 
Mr. Hixon was twice married. His first wife left no children. His second 
wife was formerly Miss Ellen J. Pennell, of Honeoye, New York, and she, with her 
live sons, Frank, Joseph, George, William and Robert, survives him. 

It seems important to quote from the Mississippi Valley Lumberman a brief 
estimate of Mr. Hixon's character. "As a citizen and a neighbor Mr. Hixon was 
one of the best where he lived, and there is no one in the community whose loss 
will be more greatly felt. He was generous to a fault and many a young man has 
him to thank for his start. In public matters he was very liberal, and his annual 
contributions were up in the thousands, although he was a man that never paraded 
any of his charities: on the contrary he was very averse to having anything of the 
kind mentioned. He was a sound financier, and his advice was eagerly sought by 
many, as it was always conservative and sound and not in any way biased, no mat- 
ter what the circumstances were." 

Relating to Mr. Hixon, Mr. David Austin, i)resident of the .Sawyer-Austin Lum- 
ber Company, and himself one of the foremost citizens of La Crosse, says: '1 do, 
not feel competent to do justice in anything I can say regarding the social and 
business life of Gideon C. liixon. 1 know it is very common to eulogize one after 
he is gone, more than is done while he lives, but of the social and business life of 
G. C. Hixon too much cannot be said in his praise. I have known him well for 
twenty years, and have not only considered him a splendid business man, but a man 
of sterling integrity, and one who had rather lose a debt than distress a debtor, 
when the debtor was doing what he reasonably could to keep up. In fact I have 
never known of any instance where he pushed a debtor to the wall. He was gen- 
erous to a fault, not so much to help great public enterprises as to individuals in 
iK-cd, and 1 ha\'e no doubt many a dollar was gi\en to the needy, without its Ix.'ing 



254 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALI.F:RV OK THE 

known to any but himself and the recipient. Socially, he stood high among his 
fellow men. He was a man of large general information. I very often talked 
with him on business, and also on the general topics of the day, and never left his 
office without having learned something valuable. In fact, I think Gideon C. 
Hixon was a prince among men, and his loss to this town will be severely felt." 



HON. L. B. ROYCE, 

FORT ATKINSON. 

IT often happens that the most valuable guides which example furnishes in the 
rush of the nineteeenth century life are available only in circles limited to per- 
sonal association. The qualities most worthy of emulation are usually combined, in 
a successful man, with a shrinking from personal notoriety, which in many cases 
discourages even friendly attempts to uncover the secret of a successful career. 
This is one of the marked characteristics of Lord B. Royce, one of Wisconsin's suc- 
cessful lumber merchants, whose career gives an example of the wise application of 
principles, of close and continuous attention to business and the practice of the time- 
honored maxim that honesty and unfailing integrity is good policy. His life is in 
every sense the life of a self-made man. 

L. B. Royce was born August lo, 1843, ^^ Orangeville, Wyoming county, New 
York, the son of Orrin and Amanda Royce, tiec Eddy. His father was a farmer, 
and the son's early experience was similar to that of thousands of other boys born 
on Eastern farms. His boyhood was replete with physical labors as soon as he was 
old enough to assist his father on the homestead. At such times as his assistance 
was not absolutely needed, he acquired a fair English education in the distrct 
school and afterward in the Perry Academy and the Doolittle Institute, which were 
located in the same county. At the age of twenty he thought he was entitled to 
the liberty of seeking his own fortune, and at once decided that the great and 
growing West was the place for a young man of determination and intelligence. 
He came to Fort Atkinson, in 1863, and at once secured employment in George P. 
Martin & Company's dry-goods store as a clerk. Here he remained from October 
until the following May (1864), when he enlisted in the Fortieth Wisconsin Infan- 
try for the hundred days' service, and was immediately sent to Tennessee on picket 
duty. He was mustered out in October, 1864, and soon after returned to his home 
in New York State, where he again entered the Doolittle Institute, and remained 
until the spring of 1865. At this time the great excitement was caused by the dis- 
covery of oil in Pennsylvania, and Mr. Royce located amidst the oil fields, and 
served two years as a clerk in a store. In the spring of 1867 he came again to Fort 
Atkinson, where he accepted a clerkship with White &Shelden for a year, and then 
formed a co-partnership with Mr. William Gardner in the dry-goods business, under 
the firm name of Gardner & Royce. This business connection continued until 
1868, when Mr. Royce entered the firm of Wilcox & Southwell, in the lumber busi- 
ness, and the following year bought a third interest in the firm. For more than 
thirteen years the business was continued successfully. In 1882 Mr. Royce became 



REI'RESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES: WISCONSIN VOLUME. 255 

interested in the Beaver Lake Lumber Company, at Cumberland, Barron county, 
Wisconsin, and became the manager of the enterprise. The business grew gradu- 
ally until about 25,000,000 feet of lumber was annually manufactured and 400 men 
were emi)loyed. In 1891 Mr. Royce sold his interest in the Beaver Lake Lumber 
Company and returned to Fort Atkinson, where he has since resided. He has not, 
however, been idle, but has paid close attention to his local interests. He is inter- 
ested in the Wilcox & Richards Lumber Company, of that place, and was elected 
president of the Citizens State Bank, of Fort Atkinson, in August, 1892, which po- 
sition he still retains. He is closely identified with all public enterprises of value to 
his city, and has in no way neglected the opportunities which wealth offers. He 
was married June 24, 1868, to Miss Anna E. Southwell, of Cazenovia, New York. 
They are the parents of two sons, Henry S. and Theodore B. 

Mr. Royce is fond of instructive travel, and has visited the greater part of the 
United States, including the Southern States, California, Oregon and Alaska. In 
political life he affiliates with the Republican party, and has held important offices 
in various places. He was the Mayor of the town of Cumberland in 1886, and re- 
elected in 1887, after having occupied the same office in Fort Atkinson some seven 
years before. 

Such, in short, is the life of one of Wisconsin's worthy citizens. He has secured 
a fortune by dint of hard work and unceasing effort. No blot or stain is in any 
waj' connected with its accumulation, and since Mr. Royce began life away from the 
farm he has always been able to meet his obligations in full, and is looked upon as 
a man whose integrity is as indispensable to his physical welfare as life itself. Our 
diligence has been exercised in securing the facts here given, but much of interest 
could have been added but for the writer's inability to obtain such facts as are not 
matters of current knowledge, particularly pertaining to his whole-souled, charit- 
able, open-hearted and open-handed nature. 



COLONEL HERBERT M. ENOS. 

WAUKESHA. 

C COLONEL HERBERT M. ENOS wasborn in Johnstown, New York, March 10, 
J 1S3V His parents were Elihu and Dotha (Johnson) Enos, the former a farmer 
and manufacturer by occupation. Our subject attained his primary education in 
the common schools, and at the academj' in the village of Kingsboro. In 1852 he 
received the appointment from his District to the LJnited States Military Academy 
at West Point, and after passing the required mental and physical examinations, 
became a member of the class of 1856, and continued through the four years' course. 
Upon graduating he was appointed Second Lieutenant of Company E of the reg- 
iment of Mounted Riflemen and stationed at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, where 
he remained for a year. At the e.xpiration of that period he was assigned to duty 
in New Mexico, and for the next ten years was located at different points in that 
Territory. Most of the time he served on staff duty, as his company was the only 
one thai had its full conipk-mcnt of officers. When the war l)rokc out he was 



J5(> r.u>i;KAniu- \i nu iioNun and rnKiuvii ('.aiiikv ok iiii': 

appoinitHl lirsl 1 .ioulcii.mt o\ I he Sl\lh (.".i\ .ilr\ , luil i\c\ cr joiiu'd that iTLjimcnt. 
It was in llu- spi'iiiy; o( iSoi that I icutcnant l.iios t'\i>i'ri(.MU-(.Hl diu- oI thr most 
r\( ilins^ iiuiilcnts of his I'arccr, aiul w hilc t he ^rapliii' luaniUT in whii'h he ilcsri'il>rs 
il >atnu>l lu- port ra\ I'll. \ el w r will i'i\(Ua\or to i^ivc lln' outline's ot tlu- larts. l.icn- 
tcnanl !■ nos was at thr t inu' stationed at I'oit I'nion. w liosr loniniaiulani was 
Maior 1 i. 11. Sil>h'\, ol the hirst PraLioiMis. om- ol the patrntcrs ol the ich-hratnl 
SiMc\ icnl, ami a warm Iririul ot Sfccssion. as wrrr most ot tlu- oltuTfs st.itionril 
at the post. onU thn-ror loui. inrhuliiiL; 1 , icutcnant h'.nos, liciiiL; sympathi/rrs w ith 
the ( io\ I'lnmi-nt. (."iihuxl W . 11. l.orinu' hail just hoi'n appointoil to tlu' (."ommaml 
ol tlu' IV'partnuMU ot Ni-u Mexico, ami arrivedat hurt Ihiion on his way todepart- 
ment hoadqaartors ut Santa I'o, a vefy short time after the nt*ws had been received 
thcr<' of t-iiMieral rwi>i\ii's tnrniiio- over the l)epartnient of Texas to the Secession- 
ists. ,1 procccdiiiL; h\ the waw whicli c.iuscd intense excitement aiul feeling" at 
liiion. While, as has been said, most ol ihcolticers at the post wiM"e Southern 
s\ nipathi.-crs. the soldiers w ere lo\al almost to a m.in. .ind the loyal olliccrs Iclt that 
should tlu' example of wiener. d 1 w ii;i; attempt to he loUowed, reliance couhl l)C 
placed o\\ the rank and lile of the (iarrison to resist any such treasonable proceed- 
iiiL^s. riu- probable action of those in contmand led 1 ieutenant l'~nos to call ujion 
the oi'dn.mce otlicei'. Captain .shoemaker, and obtain .irms tor the huiuii-ed and 
tifty eniplo\es of the iiuartermaster's department ol which he was in chari^e. and, 
this beinii' subsequently accomplished, he took pains ti> ascertain how the enlisted 
men stood, and to his satisfaction iliscovered but three men belon_>;inL!; to the four 
companies composii\i;f the oarrison who sjave expression to any except the most 
lo\al sentimei\t. Shortly afterward lie was placed in command i>f a company, and 
then felt n\ore secure. Sibley tendered his resignation to the (-government. Colonel 
l.orini;. while .It I'ort I nion. in .i prix.ite interxicw tendered Lieutenant Knos the 
position oi Adjut-int. which w.is declined, boring, who h.ul remaineil in W ashin^- 
ton until .dier l.incoln's in.iu^ur.ilion. w.isfull of the Secession moxement, .md con- 
st. niil\ t.dked of it. .ind in so m,in\ w.iys displayeil his synqiathy \ov the seceders 
th.it lienten, uu b.nos .isked him w h\ he did not resiyfii. VUc C(.>lonel repliedth.it 
leff l\i\is did not w.mt the reLiul.ir .uiny men to resi^n just \et. 1 lu" tliscussion 
i^rew quite .inim.itcd.. ind 1 ieuten.ii\t b "nos rem.ukcd t h.it il he (Lorino") expected to 
follow the example of iwi^^s and turn liis department over to the Rebels, he would 
tinil that he had a biiiijer contract on his luuuis than he baro^ained for. Colonel Lor- 
iuii', luuvever. assured him on his honor, that he wouUl certainly act in an honorable 
manner, and the conversation terminated. This took place the last of March. Many 
olViceis in the department had already resigned, and after Sumter was tired upon, 
those olVicers who were disloxal and still remained in the service tenilered their 
resiii'nalions .md .issembled with their f.imilies .it boit I'niiMi. Irom .ill over the 
Territorx. .itul then proceeded to the States. Colonel Lorin^ continued on to Santa 
I'e. ind .issuimd his command. Lieutenant Enos was far from beinji satisfied, and 
from his priv.ite funds advanced the means to defray the expense of sendinij 
Cieorue .\lex,inder, .i brother-in-law of the i.ite I'r.mk \\ Bl.iir. to W'ashiiijiton to 
report the condition of alfairs. lie then wrote M.ijor PonaUlson. Chief Ouarter- 
master of the nepartment of New Mexico, .ind told him that he had sent a man to 



RKrUtSENTATlVE MKN OV THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 257 

refjort to Washin^j^ton, and that Lorinfj was a Rebel and oufrht to he relieved from 
command. When Major Donaldson received this patriotic letter he showed it to 
Colonel Lorinjr, who did not stand upon the order of his going, but packed up his 
effects and left immediately, leaving any plans he may have had, had he intended 
acting as General Twiggs had done, unaccomplished. He tendered his resignation 
but it was not accepted, and his name was dropped from the rolls. 

The prompt action of Lieutenant Knos undoubtedly saved the- 1 )< p.irtnifnt of 
New Mexico to the Union, and this one loyal deed is worthy of placing his name 
foremost and lustrous on the annals of our country's history. 

In August of the same year Lieutenant Hnos was promoted to Captain and./Xssist- 
ant Ouartermaster, with headquarters at Albuquerque, and later he was promoted 
Major and Colonel successively and Chief of the Quartermaster's Department of 1 Ik- 
Department of New Mexico. In i867his honorable career in New Mexico terminatcul 
and he came to the States, and was given leave of absence, upon the expiration of which 
he was stationed successively at Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston, 
and in 1876 was placed upon the retired list. He then came to Wisconsin and 
locatf'd at Watertown, later removing to Waukesha, his present home. He enter- 
tains the highest regards for his old comrades-in-arms, and his reminiscences of the 
old days on the frontier are fraught with as great interest as his adventures were 
with excitement. 

When gold was discovered in Arizona he was one of the officers ordered there 
in the winter of 1H63-4 to locate a post, and later explored for a roafl through to the 
Colorado river. The Territory was at that time just organized, and the first Terri- 
torial officers arrived while he was there. Prior to his becoming Chief Quartermas- 
ter of the Department of New Mexico, he was for a time Chief Quartermaster and 
Commissary of the Military FJistrict of Arizona, and the dutiesof his position involved 
almost constant traveling through the Territory and while it was in the heart of the 
Indian country; henevertookan escort of more than eight or ten men (in order to ac- 
comi>lishmorerapidresultsl,though he could have had a company had he so desired; 
and, notwithstandingthe fact that he took many risks, yet he was never attacked, antl 
throughout his entire career the only thing he ever lost was a horse, and that was 
stolen. Upon the termination of his long career, twenty years as a disbursing 
officer, when his accounts with the Government were settled, he not only satisfac- 
torily accounted for all funds, but there was a balance due him of ten dollars and 
eighty cents. Such records in the history of the service are indeed rare. Colonel 
Enos is an attendant r^f the Presbyterian church at Waukesha, and one of its 
trustees. In politics he is a strong Democrat, especially upon national issues, 
though in local affairs he votes for the candidate he believes to be best fitted for 
the office. He has been a trustee of the village of Waukesha, and in 1889 was his 
party's nominee for village president, to which office he was elected. 

He has not lost interest in the army, and is a memberof the Military Order of 
the Loyal Legion. 

Colf)nel Lnos is of commanding presence, soldierly in aspect, and straight as 
the proverbial arrow, with a keen eye, and hair and flowing beard of iron gray, 
(ienial and affable in manner and possessing the faculty of making a strang<,-r feel 



258 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

not only at home in his presence, but as if he were an old acquaintance, he is a 
typical representative of the flower of American chivalry — the educated and refined 
officer and gentleman. 



BENJAMIN BURR, 

STEVENS POINT. 

BENJAMIN BURR, son of Robert and Elizabeth (Dodge) Burr, was born in 
the town of Rodman, Jefferson county New York, April 8, 1818. Some three 
years after his birth his parents moved to western New York, where his boyhood 
days were spent. His father died in 1830, throwing the boy upon his own resources. 
He worked at ordinary farm work for his board until his seventeenth year, when 
he left home and began work at a salary of $8 per month and board, and the priv- 
ilege of attending the district school during the winter months. The succeeding two 
summers he worked for the remuneration of $9 and $10 monthly, saving the larger 
part of his earnings. The third he attended school during the entire year, doing 
chores for his board, and walking three miles to and from the school known as 
the Penfield Lyceum, at Penfield, New York. He also taught some of the minor 
classes for tuition, and in fact was listed as an assistant teacher in the collegiate 
cataloo-ue. Having now attained his majority, he taught country schools for $16 
per month, and " boarded around." In the following spring, 1840, he moved to the 
city of Rochester, and became an employe of Thomas Watson, proprietor of the 
Arcade House, remaining with him three years, at a salary ranging from $12 to $25 
per month. His employer died in 1843, and was succeeded in business by a man 
named Lawrence Pond, with whom Mr. Burr remained for two years as manager, 
at a salary of $35 monthly. His next employer was Isaac Ashley, who conducted 
an eating house in connection with the Clinton Hotel, in Rochester. His next 
chancre was to become an employ,' of Manvell & Spencer, wholesale dealers in oys- 
ters and fruits. A year or so later he was given an opportunity to purchase Mr. 
Manvell's interest on long time, and accepting the proposition became a partner in 
the business with Mr. Spencer, the firm becoming known as Spencer & Burr. Al- 
though at that time the business transacted by the firm of Spencer & Burr was 
comparatively small, the partners were energetic and ambitious and built up a trade 
that exceeded $100,000 annually. In 1856, having an opportunity to sell his inter- 
est to good advantage, he did so and again became an emplmji- of Isaac Ashley, 
taking charge of his wholesale oyster department. In 1857 he moved to Stevens 
Point, Wisconsin, where two of Mrs. Burr's sisters were engaged in a seminary. 
Being favorably impressed with the surroundings, he engaged in the mercantile and 
lumber business, a business he has followed without interruption ever since. His 
associates at first were his brother-in-law, N. H. Emmons, and W. H. Gilchrist. In 
T872 he engaged in the supply trade with H. D. McColloch. This partnership was 
dissolved in 1879. In 1877 his son, Emmons Burr, started in the business, and in 
1879, upon the dissolution of the old co-partnership, the firm of Benjamin Burr & 




^'i^^f-^^-z^^^u-^-f^ 



X^ 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 261 

Son was orj^anizcd. Hfsidcs his interests in tlie business of lienjamin liurr & Son 
and in local institutions, Mr. Burr was at tlie time of his deatii jtresident of the In- 
ternational Bank, of Amherst, Wisconsin. 

Politically he affiliated with the Democratic party, and was always known as a 
public-spirited citizen. He served as School Commissioner, Alderman and chair- 
man of the County Board of Supervisors for periods ranging from eight to ten 
years. In 1867 he was elected to the Assembly, overcoming an adverse majority of 
500 votes, and labored steadily and (;arnestly to have the Legislature pass a bill au- 
thorizing a county-seat election in his county. He; succeeded in this, and the fact 
that Stevens Point is now the county seat is due; to the exertions of Mr. Burr in the 
Legislature. Previous to his removal West, he became a member of the Toronto 
Lodge, No. 6q, I. O. O. F., but took no active interest in the order after he located 
at Stevens Point. lie was always a friend of educational institutions, and 
served with credit on the School Board, of which he was treasurer for many years. 

He was married in 1847, to Eliza Emmons, a native of Connecticut, but then a 
resident of Penfield, New York. Mrs. Burr died September 8, 1884, survived by one 
son, Emmons Burr. Mr. Burr died in .Stevens Point, P'ebruary 17, 1894. His life 
was filled with hard work. He began life as poor as the poorest of boys. His suc- 
cess illustrates the power of patient effort, steady application and honesty of pur- 
pose. He endeavored to "do unto others as he would be done by," founding his 
religion upon that proverb. That he lived a life worth living is an undisjjuted fact, 
and no resident of this community counted more friends and h;ss enemies than Ben- 
jamin Burr. 



ANGUS CAMERON. 

I,A CROSSE. 

ANGUS CAMERON was born in the town of Caledonia, Livingston county. 
New York, on the 4th of July, 1826. His father's name was Duncan Angus 
Cameron, and his mother's name before her marriage was Sarah MacCall. His 
father was the son of y\ngus and Katharine (MacPhersonI Cameron. He was born 
in Iverness-shire, Scotland, in 1784, and came to America with his parents in 1800. 
They settled in Caledonia in 1803, the county being then a wilderness. His mother 
was the daughter of Hugh and Mary (Campbell I MacCall, and was born in Argyle- 
shire, Scotland, in 1788. .She came to America with her father's family in 1809. 
Angus Cameron's father attended the parish school of his native parish until he 
emigrated to America; He possessed a quick and strong natural intellect, and ac- 
quired education rapidly, being well informed in the branches then taught. He 
was an industrious reader all his life and was thoroughly versed in history and re- 
ligious subjects. He frequently held local offices. His judgment was excellent as 
far as his knowledge or information extended. He was ofcen consulted by his 
neighbors on business matters, and his advice was highly regarded by his acquaint- 
ances. He very frequently made wise remarks that are tiufjted to this day In the 



262 lUOGRArinCAL DICTIONARY AND I'ORTRAir GALLERY OF TIIK 



neighborhood. His mother was also well educated for the time in which she lived, 
possessing strong natural sense. His mother died at Caledonia, in 1864, and his 
father in 1872. His parents and their ancestors, us far back as in the days of John 
Knox, were rigid Presbyterians. 

He began attending the district school when he was five years of age. He at- 
tended school winters and worked on his father's farm summers until he was thir- 
teen years of age, when his father sent him to the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, at 
Lima, Livingston county. New York, this being an institution of high grade for its 
class. He attended this seminary three years. He also attended for one year an 
academy at Geneseo, Livingston county. He taught school when he was fifteen 
years of age, and continued to teach winters until he was twenty-two. He taught 
one year in the seminary at Lima. He was a good Latin scholar, was also strong in 
mathematics and in moral and natural science. 

He entered the law office of Wadsworth & Cameron, at Buffalo, New York, in 
April. 1850, as a law student, and his duties included the sweeping and dusting of 
the office, the copying and serving of papers, and making himself generally useful. 
He was so useful that he was paid a salary of $200 the second year. He graduated 
at the National Law School, at Ballston Spa, Saratoga county, in March, 1853, and 
was admitted to the bar at Albany, New York, in April, 1853. After he was ad- 
mitted he returned to the office of Wadsworth & Cameron, and continued there 
until the spring of 1856. In April, 1856, he formed a partnership with Frederick 11. 
Wing, in the banking business, under the firm name of Cameron & Wing, and 
was engaged in banking at Buffalo until the spring of 1857. 

On the 2 1st day of February, 1856, he was married to Mary Baker, in the town 
ot Urbana, Steuben count}', New York. She is a daughter of William Baker, and 
a granddaughter of Samuel Baker, a Revolutionary soldier, who settled in that town 
in 1790. Her mother was of Holland-Dutch descent. Her grandmother was a 
first cousin of Martin VanBuren, the eighth President of the United States. He re- 
moved with his wife from Buffalo to LaCrosse; Wisconsin, in the month of Sep- 
tember, 1857, and they have ever since resided at La Crosse. The}- have no chil- 
dren. 

On his arrival at La Crosse, he formed a law partnership with .\lonzo Johnson, 
under the name of Johnson & Cameron. The firm continued until the death of Mr. 
Johnson, in May, i860. On the first day of December 1861, he formed a law part- 
nership with Joseph W. Losey, under the firm name of Cameron & Losey, and this 
association still continues. Charles W. Bunn became a partner with them on the 
1st of September, 1875, '^"d the firm has since been Cameron, Losey & Bunn. He 
was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate two terms of two years each, — 1863 
and 1864, also 1871 and 1872. He was a member of the Assembly of Wisconsin two 
years, — 1866 and 1867, — being Speaker in 1867. He was a delegate to the Baltimore 
Republican convention, in 1864. He was one of the regents of the University of 
Wisconsin for nine years, — from 1866 to 1875. He was elected to the Senate of the 
Ihiited States in January. 1875, and was re-elected in March, 1881. lie was an anti- 
slavery Whig in i)olitics until llie formation of the Republican i)art\-, when he at- 



REl'KESKNTA'nVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES) WISCONSIN VOLUME. 263 

tached himself to that party, having: always been refjarded as a radical. Senator 
Cameron has been a Republican of the straightest kind since the formation of that 
party, has been an ardent worker in the cause, never an office-seeker, and has 
proved in every station in which he has been placed a reliable, consistent and use- 
ful public servant. 

In the United States Senate his career has not been conspicuous as a speaker, 
but few members have acquired more influence than he has as a worker, and as ad- 
vancinij useful statesmanship. He has held membership in some of the most im- 
portant committees, and also has been placed on important select committees, one 
of which was entrusted the investigation of alleged frauds in South Carolina at the 
presidential election of 1876, and, as chairman of it, he made a report which was 
considered able and e.xhaustive, and attracted general public attention. It may 
truthfully be said that there is no man in public life of more sturdy uprightness, and 
who possesses to a greater degree the confidence *of the country than Senator Cam- 
eron. 



OSSIAN COOK, 



OS.SIAN COOK, sonof jolm G. Cook and Sarah Cook, nee Andrews, was born 
in Shipton, Canada East, February 11, 1832. His parents were both natives of 
Claremont, New Hampshire, and were descendants of old Colonial families. His pa- 
ternal ancestry was of English origin, and his mother was of Scotch lineage. His 
mother's father was loyal to the English governmenl during the Revolutionary war, 
and after the conclusion of the war of 1812, desiring to reside in a country under 
the British flag, the family moved to Canada In 1838, when our subject was a lad 
of si.x years his parents moved to Wayne county, Ohio, at that time but little better 
than an unexplored wilderness. John G. Cook w^as a cloth dresser by occupation, 
and obtained employment in his new home in a factory that manufactured woolen 
cloths. In Stark county young Ossian obtained a rudimentary education. When 
twelve years of age the family moved to Massillon, Stark county, where the father 
of our subject took charge of a woolen mill. In Massillon Ossian continued his 
studies, and later attended the high school. His father possessed but small finan- 
cial resources, and of his own accord could not afford to send him to the high school, 
but being determined to obtain a good education the youth found employment during 
his leisure hours, and thus he earned the means to pay for his tuition. He obtained 
employment as bookkeeper in the collector's office of the Ohio & Erie Canal, work- 
ing at nights and after school hours in the afternoon. Thus it can be seen that he 
early in life displayed those qualities of ambition and determination which have 
been characteristic of his entire career. 

Upon leaving school he determined to learn a trade, and an opportunity being 
offered him to learn the trade of shoemaking, he grasped the chance and set active- 
ly to work to become master of his trade. He soon became a good workman, and 



264 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 



in 1850, when eighteen years of a^je, he became foreman in the shoe shop of j. T- 
lewett, of Chicago. He was probably the youngest workman in the shop, but his 
abiUty was such that he was phiced in charge of it. He remained with Mr. Jewett 
until the fall of 1834. In the following year he was married, and moved to Oshkosh, 
Wisconsin, where he entered into the boot and shoe business. The disastrous panic 
of 1857 caused him financial embarrassment, and he assigned his busin<'ss for the 
benefit of his creditors, and determined to start anew, without feeling discouraged. 
The discovery of gold in Colorado opened a field for many an ambitious man. He 
decided to journey thither and seek his fortune in the mines at Pike's Peak. The 
journey was made by ox-teams and three months were consumed by this tedious 
tri]). He dug gold, with moderate success, until the fall of 1859, when he returned 
to Oshkosh. In January, i860, Mr. Cook entered into the lime business with Mr. 
lames A. Day, establishing the firm of James A. Day & Company. The business 
was successful from the outset and soon grew to large proportions. In 1874, owing 
to the retirement of Mr. Day because of poor health, this firm was succeeded by 
Cook, Brown & Company, Mr. Day's interest being purchased by R. C. Brown and 
v. E. Waite, an in 1887 the business was incorporated as the Cook & Brown Lime 
Company, with Mr. Ossian Cook as president. In 1884 he was instrumental in or- 
ganizing the Fox River Sewer Pipe Company, which was chartered the same year, 
and of which he became president. In 1888 the name of this companj' was changed 
to that of the Northwestern Sewer Pipe Company. Mr. Cook has made some val- 
uable real-estate investments, and owns the most valuable business corner in the 
city of Oshkosh. Politically he is a stanch Republican and a firm believer in the 
doctrines of Republicanism as advocated by Republican leaders. His father was a 
member of the Whig party, and was a strong advocate of the protection policy. 
From him Mr. Cook inherits the belief in the benefits of the system, — a system that 
has built up the prosperity of the country and which has reared its' manufactures 
frt)m weakness to vigor. He is in no sense a politician, but takes a citizen's inter- 
est in events of the day, never permitting his name to be used for political office. 
Mr. Cook is a member of the Masonic fraternity and also of the Odd Fellows. He 
was married in 1855, in Franklin county. New York, to Mrs. Rhoda Waite, ncc Day, 
widow of Thomas Waite, of Chicago. Mrs. Cook is a descendant of an old New 
England family, members of which served their country' patriotically in all of its 
disturbances. Mr. and Mrs. Cook are the parents of four children. Allen Bruce 
Cook, the eldest, has charge of the Chicago interests of the Cook & Brown Lime 
Company. He married Miss Jessie Jackson, daughter of Heman B. Jackson, a 
prominent attorney of Chicago, formerly a resident of Oshkosh. William Grant 
Cook, the second son, married Lettie Lafiin, daughter of John LaHin, Grand Secre- 
tary of the Grand Lodge of Masons. The two others are Miss Jessie Andrews 
Cook and Thomas R. Cook. 

Mr. Cook has traveled quite extensively, and has visited nearly every State in 
the Union. He has been successful in his business undertakings, and is now at the 
head of the largest business of its kind in the State of Wisconsin. His success has 
been all self-achieved. He owes his high position to his own efforts and to sound 
business principles. His career proves most forcibly that if a man be possessed of 



•v^ 




^.^ 



KliJ'KESENTATlVK MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 267 



the necessary traits of character he can build for himself a position without the aid 
of friends or outside influences. To ener<ry, economy, perseverance and business 
intej^rity is his success due. and he is a most illustrious type of the self-made man. 



JOMN rillLLIPS, M. D., 

STEVENS POINT. 

''P^I IE subject of this sketch has resided in .Stevens Point for over forty-six years, 
I- and has witnessed the transformation of the State of Wisconsin from an unex- 
plored wilderness to the prosperous and populous commonwealth it is to-day. Few 
of the present j^eneration realize the chanj^es that have occurred durinjr the time 
that Dr Phillips has resided in Wisconsin. At the time he came, not a mile of rail- 
road was beiny operated, and the greater part of the .State had not been surveyed. 
He arrived here a youn<? man, full of ambition, and ready and willing to labor 
steadily and faithfully for advancement. I'rom the day he came to the present 
time his influence has been a power in the community, and he has u.sed this power 
to benefit the people, both morally and educationally, and lie is one of the most 
commanding figures in this section of the State. 

He was born at Richmond, Chittenden county, Vermont, November 4, 182^, a 
son of -Stephen and Mary (Austin) Phillips. His boyhood days were passed on his 
father's farm, assisting in the work and attending district .school in the winter. He 
also attended the academy at Johnson, Lamoille county, Vermont, for one or two 
terms, having, however, previously taught school for one term. Leaving the acad- 
emy, he devoted four years to teaching in his native State, pursuing his scientific 
studies in private. Becoming convinced that the newly-settled West offered greater 
opportunities than the Last for advancement, he determined to locate here and 
develop with the country. At that tiine a journey to the west shore of Lake Michi- 
gan was a widely different trip from what it is now. Dr. Phillips boarded a canal boat 
at Troy, New York, and passed over the Erie canal to Buffalo, where he boarded a 
steamer for Milwaukee, arriving there after a journey of two weeks. Shortly after 
his arrival in the West, he taught school near Belvidere, Illinois, and the following 
spring moved to the lead-mining district of southern Wisconsin, locating at Wyota, 
La Fayette county, Wisconsin, and there resumed teaching, continuing meanwhile 
the study of medicine, under Ur. Young, of that place. During the fall and winter 
of 1847 and 1848 he attended a course of lectures at the Rush Medical College, then 
under the c(.-lebrated surgeon, Brainard. In the fall of 1848 he was induced to come 
to Stevens Point, and immediately opened an office. Four years later he attended 
another course of lectures at Rush Medical College, and after obtaining his diploma 
returned to his home, where he has continued in steady and successful practice to 
this date, except when temporarily absent on some official duties. F"ew realize now 
the amount of disagreeable labor that was entailed upon the pioneer physician. He 
was forced to visit patients up and down the river some forty miles. Hardships of 
many different kinds were his, but with a determination to succeed he continued 



268 BlOGRAl'UICAl. DICTIONARY AND rOKTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



manfully at work, and thus laid the foundation of his successful career. He has 
been a constant student, always reading and keeping abreast of the times in his 
profession and in the researches of scientific subjects. Politically he is affiliated 
with the Republican party, and takes a deep interest in the welfare of the people. 
In i860 he was elected to the Assembly from the district comprised of Portage, 
Marathon and Wood counties, and in 1864 was again elected to the House from 
Portage county, which then had become an assembly district by itself. He has al- 
ways taken an active interest in educational matters, and served as a member of the 
school board for several years. In 1864 he was on the board appointed to attend 
the annual examination at West Point Academy. For fifteen years he was a mem- 
ber of the Board of Regents of the normal schools of the State, and in this capacity 
he succeeded in doing noble work in behalf of the normal schools, and he is pleased 
that he has lived to see one of these worthy educational institutions in the city of 
his home. For eight years he was a United States Pension Examiner, and upon 
the formation of what is now known as the Board of Pension Examiners, continued 
to serve as member of that body for twelve years more, making a total of twenty 
years that he acted in that honorable capacity. He is now a member of the Wis- 
consin State Medical Society and the American Medical Association, and has just 
been elected to the State Senate from the counties of Portage, Waushara and west 
half of Waupaca. 

Dr. Phillips was married at Brownington, Orleans county, Vermont, October 5, 
1854, to Miss Ellen E. Hall, a daughter of Rev. Samuel Reed Hall, A. M., LL. D., 
who founded the first normal school, or teachers' seminar}^, as it was then called in 
the country at Concord, New Hampshire, in 1823. Subsequently he went to And- 
over, Massachusetts, and took charge of the teachers' department in Phillips Acad- 
emy. He was later appointed the first president of Oberlin (Ohio) University, and 
formed the curriculum adopted by the facultj', but decided not to dome West, and 
declined the appointment. He was the author of some of our earliest and best 
writings on the art and science of teaching. Mrs. Phillips inherited in no small 
measure his literary tastes and talents, and devoted considerable time to writing, 
both prose and poetry, her nom de plume for metrical compositions being Ada J. 
Moore. In 1875 she compiled and published a selection from her numerous poems, 
the book being entitled " Under the Pines." The neat little volume was dedicated 
to her venerated father, "in hope that it might brighten with a new pleasure the 
eightieth year of a life of rare beauty and usefulness." The rhythm of these poems 
is almost perfect, and there is a striking sweetness and tenderness running through 
nearly every one of them. Some of the finest specimens of pathos and genuine 
poetic feeling are found in such domestic and elegiac poems as " My Graves," 
"Baby Florence," "My Lost Jewels," "La Petite," etc. The heart must be dead 
which feels no touch of sympathy and tender emotion while reading these pure 
gushings of a mother's heart. The poems written during the late rebellion have 
a genuine ring of patriotic fire. The following article, taken from one the leading 
journals shortly after Mrs. Phillips' death, is published here to give an idea of her 
style and composition. 

The following lines by the late Mrs. E. E. Phillips have, we believe, never been 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 269 



pul:)lished except in form of sheet music, and were written under the followintr cir- 
cumstances. Mr. Chamberlain, one of the <?enial editors of the Milwaukee Senti- 
nel, of some years ago, having composed music for a plaintive song, afterward lost 
the song. He then wrote Mrs. Phillips to supply him with new words, he being able 
to give but two lines of the original by which the measure might be known. On 
its rerci|)t he was c()mi)limentary enough to write that he was glad he lost the orig- 
inal. At the time of publication the song received the following notice from 
Hempsted's Musical Echo: "To our mind this is one of the sweetest poems ever 
[)enned li>- an American poetess." 

" Oh, tell me ye leaves that are sighing. 

With low mourful tone in the gale. 
If a spirit despairing and dying 

May fathom the mythical wail? 

" Oh, tell me if yet to my bosom 

The form that I love shall be pressed? 
If hope's blighted bud shall re-blossom. 

And my world-weary spirit find rest." 

Soft breezes, make vocal your sighing. 

And breathe through the whispering leaves, 

Is her heart to my wild prayer replying? 
Oh, say if in absence she grieves; 

Or if with another she's roaming 

By moonlight beneath the green boughs, 

Where once in the twilight's deep gloaming 
We mingled our passionate vows? 

Oh I nature no longer is caring 

For hearts that are ready to die; 
To the cry of a spirit despairing, 

No pitying echoes reply. 

The breezes are hushed in the forest. 

The moonbeams lie calm on the lake, 
Since vainly with sorrow thou warrest, 

Sad heart, thou hast only to break. 



ELISHA D.SMITH, 



''I'^llE natural enterprise, progressive spirit and ambitious perseverance of the 
JL sons of New England have built an empire in the West that has excited the 
admiration of the world. The Green Mountain State has donated more than her 
share of the successful pioneers of the great Northwest, and her sons can truthfully 
state that much of the progress in all Ijranches of the business of the West can be 
attributed to the sterling qualities instilled into their minds in the invigorating at- 
mosphere of the Green mountains. .A worthy example of progress is illustrated in 



270 1!U)(^UA1'HUAI. niCTION.VKV ANO rtlklKAII' GAl.I.ERV OK THE 



the career of E. D. Smith. Through his ability, steadfastness of purpose, ambition 
and integrity, he has built up his business from a small and insignificant plant until 
it is now not only the largest of its kind in Wisconsin, but its bvisiness greatly ex- 
ceeds any other woodenware manufactory in the United States. 

He was born in Brattleboro. \'ermont, March 29, iSjj, and is the son of Henry 
and Ruth, >uc Dickinson. Smith. He received his education in the public schools 
of the city of his nativity. At the age of sixteen he entered a general store in Brat- 
tleboro, as a clerk, antl served two years. A countrj* life in Vermont was too ob- 
scure for one so anxious as he to succeeil; therefore he sought and obtained a 
position with a wholesale dry-goods house in Boston, Massachusetts, where he re- 
mained three years, receiving valuable instruction in business methods. During 
this time Mr. Smith made a careful study of the business, and in 1S4S opened on his 
own account a retail dry-goods store in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. His enter- 
prise was successful from the beginning, but the restless spirit of the times asserted 
itself, and he concluded to go West. Accordingly, in 1830, he settled in Menasha, 
where he opened a general store, which he successfully conducted until 1862. In 
1S52 Mr. Smith first began the manufacture of woodenware in a small way. This 
business soon increased in extent. In 1863 the fiery element entirel) destroyed his 
plant, but it was at once rebuilt and greatly extended. By this time Mr. Smith had 
terminated his retail business, and was giving his exclusive attention to his factor^-, 
which was conducted under his name. In 1875, realizing the future which was in 
store for his undertaking, Mr. Smith incorporated the Menasha Woodenware Com- 
pany, which succeeded to the business of E. D. Smith, and which to-day has a paid- 
up capital of of $250,000, with a surplus equally as large, and transacts the largest 
business of its kind in the United States. 

October 24, 1850, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Julia Mowry, of Woonsocket, 
Rhode Island. They are the parents of three children. The sons, Charles R. and 
Henry S., follow closely the footsteps of their father and have earned for them- 
selves honored names as far-seeing and conservative men of business. They are 
associated in the enterprise of their father, and much of the success of the business 
during late years has been attributable to their efforts. The daughter, jane R.. re- 
sides at home with her parents. 

Politically- Mr. Smith affiliates with the Republican party. He is in no sense 
a politician, never desiring to have his name used in connection with political af- 
fairs, but in 1892 he was nominated without his knowledge for the Assembly . He 
is a member of the Congregational Church, uses all means in his command to ad- 
vance the interests of the church, and strives to lead a consistent Christian life. 

Mr. Smith delights to devote his leisure time to instructive travel. He has vis- 
ited all the interesting portions of the United States, Cuba and Mexico, has spent 
some time in Alaska, and eight months in Europe, Eg>pt and the Holy Land. He 
Is a student of human nature, and through his various journeys has obtained knowl- 
edge of the people of the various sections of North America that has been a fund 
of useful and instructive pleasure to him in retrospect. He now contemplates 
another tour of Europe, and, being observative and having an eve for the beautiful 





/^^ //j-/^/97^^^ 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 273 

in iialuri' and in art, he will certainly oljlain a further knowlecljre of the tastes and 
habits of people of foreii^n countries. 

For over forty years Mr. Smith has devoted his time and attention to the man- 
ufacture of woodenware, and, from a small beginning, he has guarded and shiekled 
his business through all its vicissitudes until he is now entitled to the proud distinc- 
tion of being at the head of the largest business of its kind in the United States, — 
the result of his handiwork and of his constant and unswerving attention. 



JOHN S. VAN NORTWICK, 

APPI.ETON. 

AMONG the gentlemen who have been i)rominently connected with commercial 
interests both in Illinois and in Wisconsin is he whose name heads this rec- 
ord, — a worthy representative of a family that has long been closely connected with 
the business development of the Mississippi valley, and with those enterprises which 
have been important factors in the upbuilding of this section of the country. His 
grandfather, William V^an Nortwick, was one of those sturdy pioneers who followed 
the hunters, trappers, and in Indian traders in the middle section of this great coun- 
try and opened up the West to civilization, being the true founders of those com- 
monwealths which now take rank among the foremost States of the Union. A 
native of New Jersey, he removed to New York and in that State was soon known 
as a prominent contractor, who was connected with many public works, serving as 
State Superintendent of Canals in northern New York. In 1835, with his family, he 
emigrated to Kane county, Illinois, settling in Batavia, where is still the old Van 
Nortwick homstead. Since that time the name of Van Nortwick has been insepa- 
rably connected with the history of Illinois and with many of the leading interests 
in the commercial history of Wisconsin. 

William Van Nortwick married Martha Flack, daughter of James and Marga- 
ret Flack, and to them were born the following children: John; Margaret, who be- 
came the wife of James Rockwell, and died September 1 1, 1847, at the age of thirty 
years; Fanny, who married Charles Ballard, and died September 12, 1842, aged 
thirty-five; Jane Agnes, wife of James W. Harvey; and Rachel, wife of Benjamin 
Smith. The parents were consistent members and active workers in the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. The father died in Batavia, Illinois, September 19, 1854; and 
the mother's death occurred in Chicago, April 21, 1879, at the advanced age of 
ninety-three. 

John Van Nortwick, father of our subject, was born in Washington county. 
New York, April 5, 1809, was educated in the common schools and took a thorough 
course in mathematics in an academy, with the intention of becoming a civil engi- 
neer. At the age of nineteen he was employed in the engineering department on 
the canals of the State of New York, and soon became recognized as one of the 
most etificient engineers connected with the State works. In Penn Yan, New York, 
February 11, 1835, he married Patty Mari Mallory, daughter of Meredith and Elea- 



274 HlOCUAI'llKAI. IMC I lilNAKV A\l> I'OKiKAir CAIIKKV OF I'lIK 

nor (Lepffj) Mallory, who were married September i j;. iSo_|. and whose children 
were Barnum 1>.. Smith 1.. and i'att\- Mari. Mr. Mallory died September 22. 1855, 
and his wife departed this lifi' April 15, 1856. Mr. and Mrs. \'an ,\\)rtwiek became 
the jiart'nts of four children: William M., who was born in Hammondsport, Steu- 
ben county, New York; Eliza J., born at Mt. Morris, New York; John S. and Mary 
E., both born in Batavia, Illinois. In i8;() the father of our subject went to Bata- 
via, and invested in those enterprises with which his father was connected, includ- 
in.ix the millino: and other water-power imlustries, then returned to his engineering 
work in the Empire State. In 184b, when i)ublir works were stopped in New York, 
he was employed by the United States Liovernment on the Brooklyn dry docks, se- 
cin-ing the position through Governor W. L. Marcy, then Secretary of War. Later 
he entered the employ of the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad Company as chief 
engineer, aiul came to Illinois, making a permanent location in Batavia. 1 le ar- 
rived here at the begimiing of railroad building in the West aiul found an ample 
field for his labors. He laid the foundation for all the great railroad system which 
now so interlaces the upper Mississippi \ alle\-. Under his care the road was built 
from Chicago to Ereeport, Illinois, and Liter he becanie consulting engineer of the 
Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy road, of which he was president for eight years, after 
its extension to the cities of Burlington and Ouincy. He brought with him to 
Illinois a capital of $3,000, which he in\ested in the mill lands and water-power at 
Batavia and elsewhere, and while building the mill at Batavia he interested a num- 
ber of Eastern capitalists in the enterprise, under the firm name of Barker, House 
& Company, which for some time furnished much of Chicago's supply of flour. In 
1 84 J the company was dissolved and the property divided. Mr. Van Nortwick was 
a large stockholder and one of the founders of the Batavia Paper Company, now 
the Van Nortwick Paper Compan>', oi which he became sole own^r in i86g. This 
was made a joint stock companw in 1870, and controls one of the largest jiaper man- 
ufactories in the West. 

John S. Van Nortwick, who now is manager of the large paper and wood-pulp 
mills in Appleton, Combined Locks and Kaukauna, Wisconsin, was born in Batavia, 
March 26, 1847, ^'"x^l spent his boyhood in the public schools and in his father's busi- 
ness concerns, where he picked up an excellent knowledge of business principles. He 
alterwards attendeil Jennings Seminary, of .Aurora, Illinois, also i>ursued his studies 
in borl Edwanl, New York, and completetl his education in Brvant >S; Stratton's 
Business College, of Chicago. Returning then to his home, he entered upon an 
active business career in connection with his father, first as a merchant, then as a 
farmv'r and stock-raiser. He soon made an active partiuM' in some ot his father's 
business affairs, and since the hitter's death he and his brother William ha\e car- 
ried on various enterprises together. rhe\ own much of the water power on the 
Fox river, and have improved some of it by building paper and pulp mills, being 
now extensively engaged in the manufacture of print and manila papers and of 
ground wood pulp, carrying on business under the names of the Appleton Paper ill- 
Pulp Company, the Combined Locks Paper Company and the Kaukauna Paper 
Company. The capacity of their extensive mills, which are located at Kaukauna. 
Combined Locks and Appleton, Wisconsin, is sixty tons of paper per day and fifty 



KEI'RKSENTATIVK MKN OK Tllli UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 275 

tons of wood pulp. Tliry ('nii)l<)\- a large force of hands, and this enler[)rise is one 
of the most important in the I'Ox river valley. 

On tlu! j,d of I'rhruary, 1S75, jolin .S. Van Nortwick was united in marriage to 
Hina Tolman, who was l)orn in Fredonia, New York, January 25, 1852, the daughter 
of Edsel and Mary I Allen) Totman, who were both natives of New York, and who 
removed to Illinois in iS6c), locating in Batavia. To our subject and his wife have 
been born three children: William, born February 16, 1876; Martha, born July 27, 
1879; and Mar}', born January 17, 1882. They attend the Episcopal Church, of 
which Mrs. Van Nortwick is a member, and in circles of society the members of the 
household occupy an enviable position. They have resided in Appleton since i8qi, 
and although their residence here is of comparatively short duration they have al- 
ready won a large number of warm friends. 

The life of Mr. Van Nortwick has been one of integrity and honor, in har- 
mon\- with those of his illustrious father and grandfather. The family name in the 
West is the synonym of industry, enterprise and upright dealing, and the gentleman 
whose name heads this record is a worthy representative of this esteemed family. 
He early manifested those traits of character which have colored his whole career 
— perseverance, foresight and sagacity, and with "onward" as his watchword he 
has steadily progressed along those lines of business which have not only brought 
to him success, but have also aided materially in advancing the prosperity of the 
communities with which he has been connected. In politics he is a Republican, but 
has never had time or inclination to seek public office, preferring to devote his 
energies to his business affairs and his leisure hours to the enjoyment of his home 
and social pleasures. 

JOHN II. WHORTON, 

AI'l'l.ETON. 

IOl 1 \ 1 L\RT WHORTON, one of the foremost men of Appleton, has attained 
his ijrominence by application, perseverance, and the diligent improvement of 
opportunities; and from a humble beginning has become one of the representative 
men (jf the State. 

( )ur sui)ject, who was the fourth son of Richard and Ann ((irant) Whor- 
ton, was born in the parish of Kent, Carleton county, New Brunswick, March 
20, 1824. 1 lis father, who was a farmer and a lumberman, was of American ances- 
try, antl his mother's people were of i^nglish descent. 

John's boyhood was one of toil. His day's work Ijegan at live o'clock, and 
until he was si.\teen years old he helped around the farm, getting ijractically no 
time for schooling, for his father, though possessed of some little property, worked 
■ irly and late to make both ends meet in providing for his large family. 

At the age of sixteen, our subject went into the woods and worked for his 
father several years: when in his twenty-second year he was able to find time to 
attend school, and, although he was unable to contiune for any length of time, yet 



J78 IMdCKArilUAL IMCllONAKV ANP I'OKl'RAir CAM FRY OK TIIK 



by studying: both day and night (in the latter by the faint light of a tallow dip), he 
managed to arqnire the riidimentar>- branches. In 1850 he, in companx w itli liis 
hrotluT William, ilecided to set out for the West, being led to that determination 
1>\ the ri'inark of a neighbor, wiio saiil that in tiie Territory of "Westconstant" 
the soil was live or six feet deep and of amazing fertility. The glowing descriptions 
of this far western land roused the brothers' enthusiasm, and they started on their 
journey; reaching Buffalo, New \\)rk, by rail, and embarking at that point for 
Detroit on a sailing vessel, anil continuing their journey on strap-railed railway 
to New Buffalo, and thence via boat, Sam Ward, to Chicago, then to Milwaukee, 
from which point they went to Appleton. A few hundred dollars had been saved 
from their earnings in New Brunswick, but after looking the ground over, they 
decided it was not sufficient capital with which to embark in business; so it was 
determineil to return East anil work till their supply of cash was more nearly pro- 
portionate to their needs. They accordingly, in August, 1851, returned to New 
Brunswick, an 1 spent the subsequent four years in getting out logs, which they 
sold at a protit, and were in this manner enabled to return to Appleton in 1855, 
with $5,000 or $6,000, of which $.',000 was in the shape of a note, — which, by the 
way. they never realized on. Their first venture was in milling, they buying a half 
interest in the first flour-mill built at Appleton. b'or a year or two they operated 
this mill, but not having the adequate means to run it, they disposed of their inter- 
est, and in 1857 purchased timlier land on Wolf river from John Hodson and his 
son, and engaged in lumbering, at first confining their operations to getting out 
logs, and after three or four years of successful business in this direction, they 
erected a -mill, with capacity of 35,000 feet per day, which they conducted success- 
fully for the following sixteen years, when it was replaced by a paper-mill. The 
firm of W. & j. Whorton, which b\ this time was one of the most substantial of its 
kind in this section, did not, however, discontinue business, but pur'chasetl a large 
tract of timber land, with a mill upon it, in Wood county. New improvements 
were added, and a shingle mill erected, which gave the plant a daily capacity of 
fifty thousand feet. This enterprise was continued for the ensuing five years, 
when it was sold, netting to the Messrs. Whorton a [)rofit of one hundred anil fiftr 
thousand dollars. 

Returning to Appleton, the Commercial National Bank was organized, in 
i88t. with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars, and a commodious banking- 
house erected. 

Our subject, who is one of the largest stockholders in this bank, was its vice- 
president from 1882 until the death of Mr. E. C. Goff, the president, in 1893, at 
which time he became the active head, and the following January was elected 
president, an office he tdls with ability and credit, both to the bank and to 
himself. 

A few years ago the Manufacturers' National Bank of Appleton was pur- 
chased, and merged into the Commercial National, at which time the latter's 
capital was increased to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. It is to-day 
one of the solid financial institutions of Wisconsin, and has a large and increasing 
surplus. 



KKI'RESENTATlVt; M1;n (J|- Tllli UNITliU STATliS; WISCONSIN VULUMIi. 279 



In 1882 the Fox River Paper Comijany was established, and Mr. Whorton was 
one of the most active members of the company that effected its organization. 
The cai)itai stock was originally $ioo,oo3, l)in it has been increased out of the 
earnings until it is now $400,000, while the capacity of the plant is fifteen tons of 
writing paper per day. Mr. Whorton has been general manager of this corpora- 
tion during its entire existence, and it is to liis capable inanag(Mncnl that its suc- 
cess may be largely attrilniled. 

Mr. Whorton is a warm friend of the cause of education, for his own struggles 
for knowledge in early life taught him the value of learning. He is a memlter of 
the board of trustees of Lawrence University, and by his aid and couns<-i has l)(;(;n 
of material assistance to its fortunes. 

Mr. Whorton is i)residenl of the board of trustees of the Methodist Cliun h 
of Ai)pIeton, in whose doctrine of the Christian faith he is a sincere believer, lie 
has, notwithstanding the multiplicity of his business cares, been able to find time 
to devote to travel, and has been all over the United .States, from the Atlantic to 
the Pacific. 

Politically he is a stanch Republican,— not in the sense of being a politician, for 
he never held, nor has he any desire for, ofifice, but his interest is that of a citizen 
looking for the adoption of those measures that will be of greatest benefit to the 
country. He was an enthusiastic supporter of Abraham Lincoln, and carried a 
torch in his first campaign. 

In August, 1854, .Mr. Wharton was marri(,'d to Miss Martha Priscilla Levine. a 
native of New Brunswick, and a friend irom the days of childhood. (){ this 
union have been born seven children, five of whom are now living. 



HON. ERNST MEKTON, 

WAUKKSHA. 

nOX. ERNST MERTO.N is a native of Prussia, and is the son of Joachim Mer- 
ton, a citizen of Berlin, who was at that time in indigent circumstances. It 
was near that city that our subject was born August g, 1848, being the fourth of five 
children. His parents emigrated to America in 1856, locating first in Illinois, and 
later removing to Milwaukee, the parochial schools of which city P2rnst attended 
until he reached his fourteenth year. He then obtained employment on a farm, and 
increased his store of knowledge by attending a night school. But under these con- 
ditions he could not obtain such an education as he desired, so at about the age of 
twenty-four he entered the employ of a sewing-machine company, with whom he 
remained for five or six years. In the meantime he began the study of law in Mil- 
waukee, not in a law office, for he was entirely dependent upon his own exertions 
for his subsistence, and therefore could not afford the time such a course would 
require, but he was able to devote only such hours as the duties of his occupation 
would permit. Later he studied with a Mr. Merrill, of Walworth county, where he 



28o i!uu;k.\i'iucai. dictidnarv and i-oRiKAir cai.i.kky of the 



was .ulmilU'il to in'.uiur in 1S7S. lie rntered upon liis prt)tt'ssi()nal career at Bur- 
liii>iU)ii, Wisconsin, wliere lie continued to practice most successfully- till iS8c). Part 
of this period he was alone, and part he was associated with a Mr. Carney, under 
the lirni n.iinc of M( itini iK: C "arney. Upon lea\in>x Hurlinij;ton he located at W'au- 
kesha .uul forniei! a le^al partnership with Mr. T. E. Ryan, of that place. 

Mr. Merton has been l>rou^ht ver\ prominently before the public by reason of 
his ^feat abilitx as a criminal lawyer, anil his identification with several of Wiscon- 
sin's most ci'leliialed murder trials, lie was counsel for the tlefense in a celebrated 
murder case in Waukesha couiUn, in 1SS4. llis client had two trials which both 
resulteii in his aciiuittal. In 1S0-' he ileft-iuled successfully the case of the State 
against .\nton Xouht. This trial, which will be remembered as attracting a great 
tleal of interest at the time, resulted, as did the one we have just cited, in a verdict 
of aciiuittal. Mr. Merton, on one occasion, aided the prosecution in a murder trial 
in Waukesha county, having been appointed by the court to assist the district at- 
torne\ in .in .ution for muriler brought b\ the State against one Bernhardt. Mr. 
Merton won this c.ise, and secured a verdict of murder in the first degree. Inshort 
e\er\' murder trial for which he has beeit retained he has won. and in all the cases 
of his \ er\ large iriminal i)raitici\ lu- has almost in\ .irial>l\' obtained a verdict of 
aciiuittal, although frequentl\- he has had to carr\- the case to the Supreme Court 
for tinal adjudication. As "i>eace hatli her xictorii-s no less ri'uowned than war," so 
with Mr. Merton in the wide tield of ci\ il jurisprudence; tor hen' he has been 
equallv successful. In the two celebrated Hygeia water cases he appeared 
for the city and some I. uul owners. The first of the cases iinolved the 
validitv of a franchise granted b\- the village of Waukesha permitting the water 
to be piped out of the village. lie won in the lower court. His adversary 
appealed to the court of last resort, whiM"i> the decision was affirmed. The sec- 
ond case w, is one where the s.ime parties who had pre\ iousK' been ilideated at- 
tempted, under the name ol the \\ isconsin W .iter I'ompain, to come .uul con- 
demn lauds for the purpose ol pumping water through pipes to Milwaukei' and C hi- 
cago. In this case he was defeated in the lower court, but upon his appeal to the 
Supreme Court that tribunal reversed the decision and instructed the trial court to 
dismiss tlu- proci'i'dings. Mr. Merton has also been counsi>l in se\i'ral \i'ry im- 
portant life-insurance cases, and in each and all of them he has l)een victorious. In 
fact, throughout his entire legal career he has been \ ery successful, and lost but 
very few cases entrusted to his care. 

Mr. Merton's success may be attributed to honest toil, careful and i>ainstaking 
research and close application, lie is considered by those who have watched his 
professional career to possess one of the most analytical and lirilliant legal minds in 
the State of Wisconsin, a fact that is proven b\- his many victories at the bar. 

Mr. Merton is a prominent member of the orders of Odd l-'ellows aiul Knights 
of Pythias. In politics he is a pronounced Democrat, and during" the period of his 
residence in Burlington was elected on his party's ticket to the office of president of 
the village nearly ever>- year that he lived there. In 1SS4 he was the Pemocratic 
candidate for Congress in the hirst \\ isconsin district. In religious matters he is a 
beliexer in the doctrines of the Baptist Church. His time is almost whollv occu- 



RKI'RESENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 281 



l)iecl by the duties of his business, but he occasionally- finds linu- for a rubber of 
whist, a game of which he is exceedingly fond. 

Mr. Merton was joined in marriage, on tlu- 2d da\- of l'ei)ruary, i,S()S, lo 
Miss Evelyn Adams, of East Troy, Walworlh county, Wisconsin. Of this union 
have been born three children: Bella, Lillian M. (stenographer for her father) and 
Hal, who is still altendint;' school. 



JOHN WARD BRADSIIAW, 



VMONCi the many men who have assisted in building uj) northern Wisconsin 
and have at all times held the best interests of the community at heart, none is 
more deservedly looked up to than John \V'. Bradshaw. The son of a New Eng- 
land sea captain, he was born March 13, 1838, at Charlestown (now a portion of 
Boston), Massachusetts. His parents were Eleazar Edes and Martha (Walker) 
Bradshaw. When of suitable age John was sent to the common schools of his na- 
tive town, where he received his entire education, — at the age of sixteen entering 
upon a clerkship in a hardware store at his home. Here he received valuable ex- 
perience in business methods and affairs, and for eight years attimded strictly to 
his duties. 

In 1862, at the age of twenty-four, Mr. Bradshaw, as was common in the experi- 
ence of most young men of those days, realized the superior advancement offered 
in the far West, and concluded to join his brother, Peter Edes Bradshaw, who had 
some years previously settled in Sujjcrior, Wisconsin, and engaged in the; fur-lrad- 
ing business. .Arriving here in tiic spring of 1863, he at once formed a partnership 
with his brother, under the firm nanu; of Peter E. Bradshaw <S; C (>mi)any, and for 
thirteen years, as a member of the above firm, carried on a successful business in 
furs and merchandise at Superior and at (irand Portage. The advancement of 
civilization constantly encroaching upon the lur trade, the brothers removed in 1876 
to River P'alls, Wisconsin, where they engaged in the general merchandise l)usiness 
under the same hrm name. 

In 1880 the subject of this sketch sold his interest in this business to his brother 
and entered the emi)loyof Cami)l)ell, Buri)ank & Company, wholesaleclothingdeali-rs 
of St. Paul, Minnesota, as their traveling representative, retaining his residence at 
River balls, Wisconsin. Mr. Bradshaw attended strictly to this business for more 
than seven years. In 1887 he returned to his home and permanc-ntly retired from 
business with a competency which closely approximated a fortune. ,\s one of the 
leaders among the pioneer merchants of northern Wisconsin, he has attained suc- 
cess, and can look back upon a life well spent, and one during whose progress he 
has received merited recognition as a man whose word in every sense has proven 
as valuaijle and reliable as his bond. In 1892 Mr. Bradshaw returnc^d to his first 
love,- -.Superior, Wisconsin, -where he now resides in his palatial home on i5a> 
street. 



282 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



In politics Mr. Bradshaw supports the Republican party, but is in no wise a 
politician. He has no desire for political preferment and is most independent in 
his actions toward his part}'. He believes it the duty of every citizen to advance 
the material interest of the community in which he lives, and in evidence of this faith 
he used his influence and energy in insuring the election of honest and capable men 
for office. In 1866 he served as Town Treasurer of Superior. 

Mr. Bradshaw is exceedingly domestic in all his tastes and habits, and, though 
he has visited most parts of fhe United States, he finds his greatest joy and solace 
at home, surrounded by his charming family. He married Miss Helen M. Smith 
on December 25, 1876, and is the father of three children: Anna Edes, Susan Fisher 
and John Ward Bradshaw, jr. 

The early training of our subject has made him an adherent to the tenets of 
the Unitarian Church, but with his wife and children he attends the Episcopal 
Church of Superior. It is but simple justice to state here that Mrs. Bradshaw is a 
lady of exceedingly pleasing manner and superior intellectual powers. She is a 
great favorite in the society circles of Superior, and her labor in fields of charity is 
one of love, with no thought of reward save that derived from a sense of duty well 
performed. 

Mr. Bradshaw's business career has been one of activity and perseverance, and 
his success has been a gradual outcome of intelligent, consistent and honorable 
effort. He is conservative in judgment and has contributed in no small degree to 
the enterprises with which he has been connected. Although successful in life and 
implicitly relied upon when called upon for advice, he is a man of great modesty of 
"character. His habits and tastes are likewise modest and simple. Such men, 
whether in office or out, are the leaders of whatever party they may support, es- 
pecially in connection with movements tending to higher politics. This normal 
leadership is common to both parties, and constitutes the most hopfeful political 
sign of the period. 



HON. EDWARD SANDERSON, 

MILWAUKEE. 

EDWARD SANDERSON was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, March 
14, 1829, and was the third of the seven children of John and Margaret (Whit- 
field) Sanderson, both of Irish nativity. 

His early years were spent in the East, where he obtained an academic educa- 
tion, afterward moving to Ohio, where he remained until 1847, when he again 
moved westward and located at Madison, Wisconsin. He remained at Madison for 
only a few months, and then settled in Milwaukee, whither he went to engage in 
the milling business with his brother William, who had purchased the mill then re- 
cently erected by Cicero Comstock. At that time Mr. Sanderson had but a few 
hundred dollars in money, but was amply endowed with indomitable energy and 
business sagacity, qualities that are bound to command success in any field. 




lHi<& 








^'-n 



/ 



<//?- «- V CCc. 



KErRESENTATlVE MEN Ul' THE UNITED STATEy; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 285 

Tlu- mill of the Sancierson brothers was named the PhcEiiix, and though not 
rising from the ashes like the fabled bird it did rise from nearly nothing to assume 
vast proportions, keeping pace with the progress of the times. 

A large milling business involves large operations in grain, and when the Board 
of Trade was formed in Milwaukee, Mr. Sanderson was one of its charter members, 
and was i:)erhaps the largest and most successful operator on the Board for many 
years. 1 le was also a director in the Commercial Bank, of Milwaukee, and was 
interested in other enterprises of magnitude. 

As a business man, Mr. Sanderson had but few equals, his kc:en discernment, 
his sound reason and his self-confidence made him an aggressive operator, and 
caused him to venture where others trembled, while his cautiousness and quick in- 
tuitive perception kept him aloof from disastrous investment* where others saw no 
danger. He was not only a man of great executive ability, l)ut also a financier, and 
though he accumulated a fortune, had he loved money and made the accumulation 
of wealth his main object in life, he might have become one of tlie richest men of 
liis time. As a citizen he was justly the pride of his city and State. Public-spirited, 
liberal and magnetic, a public enterprise needed but the support of Mr. Sanderson 
to assure its success. Anything that would benefit the needy or the |)ui)lic appealed 
to his generosity and received both financial and moral support. 

He was deeply interested in the cause of Irish home rule, — not, i)erhaps, so 
much because of the fact that his ancestors were of that race, as from his belief in 
the constitution of the United States, that all men are created free and equal and 
ca])able of governing themselves. 

Though not a soldier, Mr. Sanderson's patriotism and his earnest support of all 
efforts to suppress the rebellion, and his great sympathy for the soldier, caused the 
Loyal Legion to confer on him one of three honorary memberships granted by the 
Commandery of Wisconsin 

In politics, Mr. Sanderson was the "power behind the throne" in Wisconsin. 
Upon the formation of the Republican party, he identified himself with it, and be- 
came one of its strongest supporters. Desiring no office for himself, he was free to 
give his genius full scope, untrammeled by hope or fear. If he had the trait of a 
successful business man, he had the elements of a statesman and politician in a still 
higher degree, for he was a born leader. He was bold, fearless and discreet. His 
knowledge of men was wonderful, and he knew so well how to handle them that his 
influence permeated national politics, and largely controlled the party in his own 
State. lie had a mind to in;ii) out tin- right course, energy to pursue it actively, 
money and liberalit)' to sujJiHjrl him, and a most extraordinary power of winning 
others to his support. Mr. .Sanderson could (loul)tl(ss ha\r had the highest office 
within the gift of the- people of his State, ami his continual refusal to accept any po- 
litical office makes his modest, unselfish character stand out the more prominently. 
He was chairman of the Wisconsin State Republican committee, and was several 
times a delegate to the National Republican Convention, and was instrumental in 
nominating both Mr. Hayes and Mr. (iarfield. In the politics of Wisconsin, Mr. 
Sanderson was a potent factor if not the cause of electing his friends to the United 
States Senate, and several Congressmen secured their seals hv his efforts. As an 



286 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

organizer of the \'oung Men's Republican Club, in 1872, he, with the efforts of a few 
others, lived to see the city of Milwaukee transformed from a Democratic to a Re- 
publican city. 

His personal character will long be remembered, as his social qualities, genial 
nature, combining with good humor, made him a general favorite, and warmly at- 
tached him to his friends. No man can leave a better monument than to be held 
in grateful remembrance by the many whom he has helped, and Mr. Sanderson 
helped more business men than any man in Milwaukee, and gave freely both of 
money and sympathy. Want or distress always touched his sympathy and his purse. 
He was a man of great force of character, whole-souled, and one of Nature's true 
noblemen. 

For six or eight years prior to his last illness, Mr. Sanderson's health was im- 
paired, but he never allowed that fact to interfere with his business; and it was only 
a short time prior to his death, which occurred May 20, 1889, that he was obliged to 
give up his regular duties. He had taken a number of trips abroad during his later 
years, and made protracted stays at Carlsbad, in hopes of restoring his health; and 
while this undoubtedly prolonged his life, it was incapable of saving it. On the 
1 8th day of May, 1889, his malady assumed an alarming phase, and in spite of the 
best medical skill obtainable, and the tender ministrations of a loving and devoted 
family, he passed away, sincerely and deeply mourned by a large and widely ex- 
tended circle of friends. 

In 1856 Mr. Sanderson was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Byron, a lady 
of high attainments, who, with their son, Henry B., and daughter, Margaret, the 
wife of Captain Otho W. Budd, who died in 1892, Cecilia Elizabeth, now Mrs. H. 
C. Cushman, of Albany, and Caroline Carpenter, the wife of Guy D. Berry, of Mil- 
waukee, survived him. 

The Sanderson residence in Milwaukee has a delightful location in'full view of 
Lake Michigan, and during Mr. Sanderson's life was the center of social gaiety, 
no family in Milwaukee entertaining so elaborately or so well. 

Not only in Milwaukee is his loss felt, but throughout the entire State, for no 
man was better known by the people of Wisconsin than was Edward Sanderson. 



HON. GEORGE C. TEALL, 

EAU CLAIRE. 

GEORGE CLINTON TEALL, son of G. C. P. Teall and Anna (Canfield) 
Teall, was born in Seneca county. New York, May 20, 1840, at the old family 
homestead, near the shores of Seneca lake. His father was a son of Nathan Teall, 
whose father was one of three brothers who came to this country from Switzerland, 
and settled in Connecticut about the year 1730. 

Nathan Teall, grandfather of our subject, was a soldier of the Revolutionary 
war under General Knox, and on several critical occasions served as his messenger 



REl'RESENTATIVK MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 287 

to General W'ashinirtoii, and was trusted with other important duties. In 1792 
Nathan Teall settled in Newtown, New \'ork, which town was afterward named 
Elmira. in honor of a member of the Trail family who hore that name. 

Nathan Teal! married Polh', a member of the Paine family. Her ancestors 
were among the Pilgrim fathers, who landed from the Mayflower at Plymouth 
in 1620. Her father was a Colonel in the Revolutionary war. The family is one of 
well known influence and importance: branches of it are located at Albany, Syra- 
cuse, Geneva, Rochester, Sodus and other places in central New York. 

The subject of this sketch was educated principally in Geneva, New York. I le 
was a student in Geneva Union and Classical school four years, then at Walnut Hill 
school, and at the age of eighteen he entered Hobart College, becoming a member 
of the class of 1862. His inclinations and desires pointed to the profession of law^ 
for his life work. He .studied law at Rochester, New York, in the offices of Hon. 
Theron R. Strong, formerly of the Court of Appeals, and Hon. Alfred G. Mudge, the 
Surrogate of Monroe county, and also attended a course of law lectures in 
the winter of 1863-64 at Rochester. He was married, June 8, 1864, to Miss Helen 
Pauline Simons, daughter of Hon. Nathan C. Simons, at Buffalo, New York, and 
soon after came west. In 1864-5 he w'as engaged in the business of buying and 
shipping grain from Milwaukee and Chicago by the great lakes to Buffalo. In 
February, 1866, he located in Eau Claire, where he has since resided. In April, 
1867, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and in January, 1868, he was appointed 
County Judge by Governor P'airchild in place of Hon. H. W. Barnes, who resigned 
to take his seat in the State Legislature. In the spring of 1869 he was elected his 
own successor and administered that office until January, 1874. He was admitted 
to the practice of law in Wisconsin at Milwaukee in January, 1872, and soon after- 
ward in the Supreme Court of the State and to the United States Circuit and Dis- 
trict courts. Pie was admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States at Wash- 
ington, District of Columbia, April 19, 1883. He formed a law partnership with 
Hon. Ale.xander Meggett in 1873, and was a member of the law firm of Meggett & 
Teall until the spring of 1881, when the firm was dissolved. In December, 1S80, he 
was again appointed County Judge by Governor Smith to fill a vacancy caused by 
the resignation of Hon. Arthur C. Ellis. In the spring of 1881 he was re-elected 
without opposition for the term ending January, 1886. He then formed a partner- 
ship with his only son, Frederick Augustus Teall, and has continued in active practice 
under the firm name of George C. & P'red A. Teall. Fred A. Teall, the junior 
member of the firm, although one of the younger members of the bar, has already 
displayed a degree of ability and an aptitude for his profession that will assure him 
a prominent position among the lawyers of the West. 

Judge Teall has been actively engaged in many important cases of litigation in 
this section of the State. While he confines himself largely to civil cases and to 
office practice, he has apjjeared as counsel in several important "criminal trials, and 
his ability in conducting that class of cases has attracted attention from the bar and 
the ijublic. Among the more important cases of this class, in which he has partici- 
pated, maybe mentioned that of the .State of Wisconsin 7's. Frase Stabeno and I linter- 
burg. In i88^ the defendants were charged with the murder of Pat O'Meara. 



288 BIOGRAl'lIICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Judge Teall so conducted the case that his client, Stabeno, had the grade of his 
offence reduced to manslaughter in the first degree. He also defended the Mork 
brothers, who were charged with the murder of Christ Nilson at Fairchild in 1888, 
and he succeeded in reducing the verdict of the jury to that of manslaughter. 
Another case that attracted much attention was that of the State ts. Andrew Don- 
phir, charged with arson of a dwelling in the nighttime. Judge Teall succeeded in 
clearing the defendant. The subject of our sketch has attained to prominence in 
the Masonic fraternity and served two terms as Eminent Commander of the Chip- 
pewa Commandery, No. 8, Knights Templar. He is Past Grand Generalissimo of 
the Grand Commandery of Wisconsin, and also a Sovereign Prince of the Royal 
Secret of Wisconsin Consistory of the thirty-second degree, Scottish Rites. 

Judge Teall is not a politician in the ordinary sense of the word, but has held some 
public offices. He was a member of the Common Council of the city of Eau Claire 
for several terms and served as President of the Council in 1890-1, and has always 
shown much interest in the securing of good government in local as well as in State 
and national affairs. He is now (1894) City Attorney for the city of Eau Claire. 



HON. SILAS IT. PINNEY, 



WHILE the race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong, the 
invariable law of destiny accords to tireless energy, industry and ability a 
successful career. The truth of this assertion is abundantly verified in the life of 
Silas U. Pinney, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. Every step 
in his career has been an honorable tribute to industry, humanity and true man- 
hood. He has not followed beaten paths; his intelligence and his ambition enabled 
him to carve his way to a successful career. His life has been devoted to the high- 
est and best efforts of human endeavor and his entire career both professional and 
social has been a credit to himself and an honor to his associates. He was born in 
Rockdale, Crawford county, Pennsylvania, March 3, 1833. His paternal ancestors 
both lineal and collateral were American for many generations. In 1642 members 
of the family emigrated from Somersetshire, England to the American colonies and 
settled in Ellington, Connecticut. From there they moved to Massachusetts and in 
Becket, that State, JustinC. Pinney, fatherofoursubjectwasborn. Ini8i5 AaronPin- 
ney, grandfatherofthesubject of thisbiography, moved to Crawford county, Pennsyl- 
vania, where his son Justin was reared to manhood. He married Polly M. Miller, of 
German descent and the daughter of a prominent clergyman who had settled in 
Crawford county in- 1792. In 1846 he moved his family to Dane county, Wisconsin, 
then the frontier of the Northwest, and located on a tract of land in Windsor town- 
ship where he pursued the occupation of farming until his death, which occured in 
1863. In 1846, when Justin C. Pinney and his family located in Dane county, the 
country was sparsely settled, and the subject of this sketch, having received a good 





l/\ (f liCft^ 



RKTRKSKNTATIVE MEN OK THE UMTEL) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 2QI 

common-school education, found it necessary to give his attention to other subjects 
than books for a considerable time. He had, however, the advantages afforded by 
some private instruction and devoted his leisure moments to individual study. He 
was, however, principally occupied in improving and cultivating his father's farm, 
lie was well sujiplied with books, and he developed a fondness for reading. He 
l)ossessed an excellent memory, so that whatever he gained he was able to retain 
and utilize. His parents desired him to become a surveyor and did all in their power 
to enable him to obtain the necessary education. When sixteen years of age he 
began teaching school in Dane county and during that year he determined to 
devote his future to the profession of the law. He taught school three winters, 
devoting his spare moments to the study of the text books of his future profession. 
In A|)rii, 1S53 he left his father's farm and entered the law office of Vilas and Rem- 
ington, of Madison. From that time until the present he has devoted himself 
almost entirely to the law. In February, 1854, he was admitted to practice in both 
the circuit and supreme courts of the State and afterward in the federal courts. In 
May, 1854, he entered upon the active duties of his profession in the city of Madi- 
son. He formed a partnership with L. B. Vilas and Samuel H. Roys, under the 
firm name of Vilas, Roys & Finney. In 1856 Judge Vilas retired from the firm and 
the business was continued under the name of Roys & Finney until dissolved by the 
death of Mr. Roys in August, 1857. In February, 1858, a partnership was formed 
by Mr. Finney and J. C. Gregory and in the following October Chauncey Abbott 
became an associate in the business, which then continued under the name of Ab- 
l)Ott, Gregory & Finney. In i860 the membership of the firm was augmented by 
the addition of James M. Flower, who remained an associate for about two years. 
In 1863 Mr. Abbott retired and Messrs. Gregory & Finney continued the partner- 
ship until 1879 when it was dissolved. In 1880 Mr. A. L. Sanborn became a partner 
of Mr. Finney and this association continued until 1892 when our subject retired 
from practice to become a member of the Supreme Court, to which he had been 
elected during the previous year. 

Judge Finney has ever been and still is a Democrat and has avoided rather 
than sought political preferment. He has however served the people of Madison 
and Dane county in different i)ositions of trust and responsibility, having been 
elected Mayor and Alderman of Madison and a member of the State Assembly. 
He has also been the choice of his party for positions of importance in the State, 
but owing to the large adverse political majority (in those days) he was, as was ex- 
pected, unsuccessful at the polls. In 1865 he prepared and attended to the publi- 
cation of the sixteenth volume of Wisconsin Reports, and in 1870 was appointed 
special reporter by the Supreme Court to report and publish the decisions of the 
Territorial Supreme Court and of the first Supreme Court of the State, extending 
over a period from 1836 to June, 1853, and which are embraced in three volumes 
known as Finney's Wisconsin Reports. 

Judge Finney was married on March 3, 1S56, to Mary M. Midliken a native of 
I-armersville, Cattaraugas county, New York. One son, Clarence, was born to 
them. He died at the age of twenty years. An adopted daughter, Bessie, also 
died when twenty-one years of age. In his profession, Judge Finney built uji a large 



2Q2 lUOUKAl'lIK Al. 1)U TIUNARV AND I'OR'I'RAIT GALl.KKV OK THE 

and lucrative practice and he has been actively engaged in much of the important 
litigation of the State during the past forty years. An examination of the Wiscon- 
sin Supreme Court reports would give an idea of the immense volume of business 
he has conducted since he argued his hrst case in that court about forty years ago. 
Since then some eighty volumes of these reports have been issued. Judge Pinney's 
name appears as counsel in every one of them. In the Circuit Court of the United 
States for the Wisconsin district and in the Supreme Court of the United States can 
be found a record of his connection with many important cases involving questions 
of commercial real-estate, corporation and constitutional law. Judge Pinney was 
reared to manhood in Dane county and there all of his active life has been passed. 
For forty years he has actively participated in the events of the times and during 
all those years his record as a lawyer and as a man has been unassailable. His 
acquaintanceship is large anci is not bounded by the limits of his own State, but in 
the commonwealth in which he has resided for so many years and in which he has 
passed a very active existence, it is doubtful if any one man has more worthy friends, 
or has more admirers for his social qualities, genial personality and true manliness 
than has Judge Pinney. 



HON. SIDNEY H. WATERMAN, 

CUMBERLAND. 

'"I'^HE wonderful opportunities that the United States present to men of industry, 
J- ability, honesty and integrity have often and at various times been commented 
upon, but as long as men have hopes and determinations to advance and succeed in 
life, the theme will never be exhausted. The great Northwest, and particularly the 
lumber district, has produced more successful men than any other part of the world. 
The boundless resources of this wonderful part of our country is continually exhib- 
ited upon the entire world. The subject of this sketch is a fit example of what in- 
dustry can accomplish. 

Sidney H. Waterman was born at Norwich, Windsor county, Vermont, on De- 
cember 23, 1844, and he is the son of H. H. and Diana («rr Johnson) Waterman. 
The early opportunities of his life were much like those of any other New England 
farmer boy. Reared to life on the farm, he spent his boyhood and early manhood 
with his parents, receiving such educational advantages as the neighboring common 
or district schools afforded. When of suitable age he assisted his father on the 
homestead. When fifteen years old he left home and began working for himself, 
in the employ of other farmers, but he continued attending school during winter 
months until he was eighteen years old. In 1862, becoming anxious to seek his for- 
tune in the world, Mr. Waterman set out for the then far West and came to Fond 
du Lac, where he obtained employment in a sawmill as a day laborer. The follow- 
ing fall he removed to Oshkosh, where he engaged in the same line of work, and 
spent part of the time in the pineries as a woodsman. Returning to Oshkosh in the 




,^i/^^^:^<^. 



^y^^^^^Z^^i^^-TL. 



RKPRKSENTATIVK MKN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 295 



sLimnuT lu- a>;ain went into a sawmill as a lalior -r, and hy persistent and conscien- 
tious work was shortly advanced first to the position of foreman and afterward su- 
perintendent of the sawmills. By close attention to business he soon became an 
authority in all matters pertaining to it. 

In 1.S82 Mr. Waterman moved to Cumberland, Wisconsin, where he began work- 
ing on a salary for the Beaver Lake Lumber Compan}', and he has remained with 
that corporation through all its many and important changes. From a compara- 
tively small business, practically unknown in the Northwest, he has seen it grow 
until it became one of the largest corporations in northern Wisconsin. After his 
first year of labor at Cumberland, Mr. Waterman took the contract to manufacture 
the lumber, lath and shingles for the Beaver Lake Lumber Company, and after- 
ward for the Beaver Dam Lumber Company, whose output has exceeded 25,000,000 
feet of lumber annually. 

In 1891 Mr. Waterman, in connection with V. L. Olcott and G. H. Brooks, 
formed the co-partnership of S. H. Waterman & Company. Mr. Brooks the fol- 
lowing fall sold his interest to Dixon, Pereles & Herbst, of Milwaukee, and the 
Cumberland Hardwood Company was organized, and this now controls over 35,000 
acres of hardwood timber in the county. The company built a mill on the Upper 
Sand lake, seven miles north of Cumberland, for the manufacture of hardwood lum- 
ber. This company has been successful from its inception. 

Mr. Waterman has not limited his work to the lumber business entirely; he has 
always been closely identified with everything which tends to further the prosperity 
of Cumberkind. When the city stood in need of a good hotel he was one of the 
promoters of the enterprise, and the Cumberland Hotel is the result. He was elect- 
ed president of the company-. Fond of good horses and a judge of superior stocki 
he was also chosen president of the Cumberland Driving Park Association, and has 
brought more good horses into the county than any other man in it. 

In political affiliations, Mr. W^aterman is a stanch Republican, but is no politi- 
cian in the common and accepted interpretation of the word. He has always been 
interested in good government, and has been chosen Alderman of the city for a 
number of terms. In 1892 Mr. Waterman was elected Mayor of Cumberland, and 
in 1893 h^ ^^''1^ re-elected. Socially, Mr. Waterman is highly esteemed, and he is a 
member of the Masonic Lodge, No. 223, of Cumberland, and Encampment No. 120, 
1. O. O. F., of Oshkosh. Though in no .sense extremely religious, in sentiment he 
is interested in the welfare of the community through church influences, and with 
his family attends the Methodist Church. 

Mr. Waterman was married December 24, 1865, to Miss Maria L. Howard, 
daughter of Richard L. and Abby O. Howard, of Oshkosh. They are the parents 
of four children, namely: Albert H., who married Miss Anna Miller, of Cumber- 
land; Alice M., wife of T. A. Olcott, of Ashton, Iowa; Grace E. and Manie L. 

The esteem in which .Mr. Waterman is held is a good indication of the man's 
worth. Himself an exceedingly hard-working man, he can and does sj'inpathize 
with all who are working for him. While he has attained success in all things he 
has underlaken, it has not been secured at the expense of any of his workmen. A 
thorough lumberman in lioth training and sympathy, he is capable of handling his 



296 IMOGRArillCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

men, of knowing when they do their duty, and for services so rendered he rewards 
liberally. No matter what his success in the past has been, he is yet closely identi- 
fied with all that goes on, and is always to be found in the midst of his men, work- 
ing like one of them, and directing their labors to the best advantage of all. 

HON. FRANK A. WOODWARD, 



HON. FRANK ALFRED WOODWARD, Mayor of Superior, was born in 
Worcester, Massachusetts, January 5, 1852. His parents, Alfred G. and Ruth 
(Palmer) Woodward, were both natives of New England, the former having been 
born in Massachusetts, the latter in New Hampshire. 

Both the Woodward and Palmer families are of English ancestry; members of 
the former coming to America years ago and settling in Boston, being the original 
tavern-keepers of that place; and the old family house may still be seen at that part 
of the city known as Boston Highlands. 

The first record of the Palmer family that is extant is the fact of three brothers 
of that name emigrating from England at an early day and locating in Connecticut 
whence a branch of the family moved to New Hampshire, and from this branch 
our subject is a descendant. 

Frank obtained his primary education in the public schools of his native city 
and Montague, Massachusetts, and afterwards attended the schools of Hanover, 
New Hampshire, and later returned to Worcester for additional instruction. At 
the age of eighteen years he entered the employ of of the Worcester & Nashua 
Railroad Company, spending the first nine months in general work, and later be- 
coming fireman on the Boston, Clinton & Fitchburgh Railroad. After serving two 
years in this capacity, he was promoted to be engineer, he being at that time less 
than twenty-one years of age, although the statutes of Massachusetts required that 
all who filled the position of engineer should be of full legal age. 

The subsequent five years were passed in the employ of this company, and then 
Mr. Woodward went with the Boston & Albany Railroad in various branches of 
train service, in which he was honored with many promotions. 

In January, 1882, he came West and entered the employ of the Plymouth Cloth- 
ing Company, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, he and his brother being the only clerks. 
The company's business increased rapidly, and its place of business was moved to a 
more central location. Mr. Woodward s large business capabilities all through 
brought him into close relation with the growth of the business, and his judgment 
directed in a great measure the course pursued by this eminently successful house. 
He became superintendent of the Minneapolis store, and when a branch house was 
established in St. Paul he became a stockholder in the company and took charge of 
the department of men's and boys' clothing in both cities, and is general superinten- 
dent. For two years he had been looking toward Superior as a city of great pos- 
sibilities and the right place to undertake a mammoth business on his own respon- 
sibility. 



KKI'KKSKNrATlVI', MKN ()!• IIIK UNIIKI) SI'A'lJiS ; WISCONSIN VOI.UMK. 2C)9 



Asa i-csiilt, 1 he Woodwai'd (IoiIiIiilj ( umpaiiy was orj^aiiizcd, and in Mai'cli, 
i.S()j, cntci'cd ii|»()ii what has prDVcii a prosperous career in the city ol Superior. 
I .ater, a liraucli house was est a hi: shed in I )uhil h, hut with a h)ial manager. Of this 
coiniKiny Mr. Woodward controls a majcjrity oi tin; stock, and is its prc;si(l**nt. TIk; 
siicc(;ss it has attained is dne to his stirrinjr and enerjrelic business methods. 

Mr. Woodward is also interested in other Inisiness enterprises, anioii^^ which 
may l)e mentioned various hmd comjjanies on tin; iron range. 

lie is now serving his second term as president of t he Superior Chamlu-r of 
Commerce, and is one of the leading citizens of the place, in ixcry thing calculated 
to advance the interests of the city of his houx' lie is a prime movci', and encour- 
ages all worthy enterprises in a substantial manner. Mis jjersonal pojjularity is 
very great, as is shown in the majority of 868 given him when <-lected Mayor of Su- 
perior, in 1894, over John A. Kelly, Democrat, who had Keen elected City Comp- 
troller the preceding year. The lailh of t he people in Mr. Woodward's ability to 
Idl theoffice satisfactorily may be more fully appreciated when it is stated that prior 
to Mr. Woodward's election the largest majority ever given in the city was in 1893, 
when it was 335 Democratic. 

Mr. W(j(jdward is a member ol both I lie Masonic and ( )<ld I'Cllow fralcrniti(;s, 
and in tlu; latter order has for thri;e years past been Commander of the Third Hri- 
grade, Patriarchs Militant, comprising the .States of Wisconsin, Minnc^sota, North 
and .South Dakota. 

On the 24th day of June, 1S73, he w.is united in m.irriage to Miss Ma- 
rana S. .Soule, of Munson, Massachusetts, and ,1 member of an old New Hngland 
famil\' of I'"rench descent. Of this union ha\c been born two chililren: I'^lla I*., a 
graduate of t he Duluth high school in iS().|, and a most beautiful and charming 
young lady; and 1 brberl W., who now, at the age of twelve, attends the Superior 
public schools. 

Mr. WoodwartI is a thoroughly self-m.ide man, and owes his success in life en- 
tirely to his own unaided efforts. I{v(;rything hi- has had since he was ten years 
old he has earned himself. 



HON. NORMAN S. (ilLSON, 

loM) i)i; I. AC. 

SUCCFCSS in life is something of which to be proud, and t he world is bettered by 
the life of every successful man. A successful career is a stimulus to others 
less fortunate in the race, and is an e.xample for emulation. The greatest reward 
of the successful man is his c(jnsciousness of having acted well his p.irt ,ind contrib- 
uted something toward the betternKMit of his fellowmen. 

Judge Norman S. Cilson was born in Middlelield, Geauga county, Ohio, March 
23, 1839. 1 lis |)arents, Willard II. and Sylvia L. (Frishy) (iilson, were both de- 
scended from Puritan ancestry. These ancestors were prominently identified with 
the patriotic movements of the colonists and participated in the Indian wars, the 
struggle for liberty in 1776, .and in the w.ir of iSij. | lis mother's family was 



300 HIOflKAl'llU'Al, DH'TKJXAkV AM) I'ORTKAIT GALLKKV OF THE 

among the early settlers of Vermont. The paternal branch of his family in Amer- 
ica was founded by Joseph Gilson, who emigrated from England and settled in 
Massachusetts before 1660. 

The boyhood days of the subject of this sketch were passed on his father's 
farm. After attending the district school during the winter months, he pursued a 
higher course of study in the Farmington Academy. Leaving the academy, he 
taught school for a year in Ohio, when, in April, i860, he removed to Wisconsin. 
He studied law in the office of his uncle, Hon. L. F. Frisby, at West Bend, in the 
latter State, and had made considerable progress in his studies when the war of the 
Rebellion was inaugurated. A native son of Ohio, which State has been aptly 
called by an eloquent rhetorician, " The lap of bravery and tlie mother of patriot- 
ism," he now proved himself true to the tenets of the soil in this hour of his coun- 
try's need, and enlisted September 17, 1861, as a private in Company D, of the 
Twelfth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He went to the front with his regiment in 
January, 1862, where he remained until June 10, of the same year, at which time he 
entered the Army of the Cumberland, under General Robert B. Mitchell, in which 
he served until after the battle of Perryville. He then rejoined his regiment, in 
October, 1862, and on May 3, 1863, was promoted to Sergeant Major. At Natchez, 
Mississippi, on August 17, 1863, he was commissioned First Lieutenant of Company 
Hj of the Fifty-eighth Regiment, United States Colored Infantry, and was later ap- 
pointed Adjutant and subsequently Lieutenant Colonel of the same regiment, after- 
wards being brevetted Colonel of volunteers. He was Judge Advocate of the 
district of Natchez and Department of Mississippi, and while in the Department of 
the Mississippi was on the staffs of Generals Osterhaus and Wood. He served as 
Judge Advocate of the court martial at Vicksburg, which tried Captain Frederick 
Speed for overloading the steamer Sultana, whereby the lives of more than 1,100 
paroled prisoners of war were lost on the Mississippi, near Memphis, in April, 1S65. 
He was mustered out of the army at Vicksburg, June 12, 1866, after having been 
four years and nine months in the service of his country. 

In September, 1866, he resumed the study of law at the Albany law school, at 
which he graduated in May, 1867. 

In January, 1868, he settled in Fond du Lac. where he entered on the practice 
of his profession. He was moderately successful from the start, and because of his 
ability, soon attracted the attention of his fellow-citizens. He was honored by 
being elected City Attorney, in 1874, and in 1876 was elected District Attorney for 
Fond du Lac county. In 1880 he was elevated to the Circuit Court bench of the 
Fourth Judicial district, comprising thecounties of Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Man- 
itowoc and Kewaunee, and so well did he fill the duties entrusted to him that he 
was re-elected to the same office in 1886 and in 1892. 

Judge Gilson is an active member of the military order of the Loyal Legion of 
the United States, of the Grand Army of the Republic, of the Society of the Army 
of the Tennessee, and of the Knights of Pythias. He is unmarried. Although a 
member of no religious body, he attends the Congregational Church. 

Judge Gilson's career illustrates the value of concentrated effort and integrity. 
For a quarter of a century he has resided in Fond du Lac, and during all that time 



L 








^^>^^.==wi^.:_^^^5^ 



KKI'RKSENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITEU STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 303 



no word of reproach has ever justly been uttered a<?ainst him. As a soldier he 
served his country faithfully and well, with that ardor and patriotism which pride 
of country alone can instill; as a judge he carries himself with true disunity, being 
ever upright in his transactions; as a citizen he is progressive and public-spirited, 
commanding the respect and admiration of all classes, irrespective of political views 
or personal ilifferences of opinion; and as a man bears the stamp of unostentation 
and gentleness, which is the true characteristic of nobility of heart and exalted 
power of the mind and soul 



HON. THOMAS FRIEND MAYHAM, M. D., 

FOND nU I.AC. 

nO.\. THOMAS F. MAVHAM, M.I)., seven times elected Mayor of 1- ond du 
Lac, and the present efficient presiding officer of that city, is a native of Scho- 
harie count}', New York. He was born January 31, 1830, son of John and Betsey 
lF"erguson) Mayham. His paternal grandfather was a native of the north of Ire- 
land. He emigrated to New York at the age of fifteen years. His mother was of 
.Scotch ancestry, and to the union of the Scotch-Irish blood much of the strong indi- 
viduality of Dr. Mayham may be attributed. Our subject was educated in the 
common schools of Schoharie county, such training being supplemented by courses 
in the academies at Stamford and Carlisle, New York. He graduated at the latter 
institution in 1853. While attending the academies he taught school winters and 
also entered upon the study of the science of medicine under his elder brother, 
Isaac Mayham, who was then a practicing physician in New N'ork. .So bright was 
he in boyhood that before he was fifteen years of age, he was able to teach school, 
and did so to the satisfaction of all. After graduating from the Carlisle academy 
he entered upon a course of stud\- in the .Albany Medical College and graduated at 
that institution in 1854. 

Under constant application to study his health became impaired, and in the fall 
of 1854 he came west to Wisconsin, and located in Fond du Lac. The following 
three or four years he was emj^loyed as school-teacher and as travelling agent for 
school-book publishing firms. 

He determined to enter upon the practice of his profession, and in the fall of 
1858 began a post-graduatecour.se in the Michigan University, at /\nn Arbor, Michi- 
gan, and in the spring of 1869 began to practice his profession in F^ond du Lac. In 
1863 Dr. Mayham went south to Cairo, Illinois, as contract surgeon, and remained 
there, engaged in hospital practice, until the spring of 1866, when he returned to 
I-'ond du Lac. In the fall of 1868 Dr. Mayham entered upon an honorary course at 
tiie Chicago Medical College, and in the spring of 1869 he obtained the ad-c2i)idi(m 
degree. 

Dr. Mayham enjoys a large and remunerative jjractice. He is a general prac- 
titioner, all classes of diseases and all classes of surgical o])eralions being given 



304 1!U)(;i<ai'iir:ai, mcrioNAm and roKiKAii' (;Ai.i.i;m' oi' iiik 

general attcnlion by him. He has, however, earned a most enviable reputation for 
his skill in obstetrical surgery and diseases of women. He is much esteemed by the 
members of the profession, and is a member of the American Medical Society. 

Dr. Mayham has been and is now one of the strongest advocates of Democratic 
principles to be found in the State of Wisconsin. His worth as a man, his educa- 
tion and public spirit have induced his fellow citizens to frequently honor him polit- 
ically. All his political honors, however, were bestowed unsought. He is deeply 
interested in the cause of education, and while residing in New York, and still but 
little more than a lad, he was elected County Superintendent of Schools. In 1855 
he was elected Superintendent of Schools in the town of Empire, Fond du Lac 
county, Wisconsin, and served until 1S59. He has been a member of the Board of 
Education for many years, and was president of that body for several terms. He 
was frequently elected Alderman of his ward, and was a member of the county 
Board of Supervisors five or six times. In 1882 he was elected Mayor and was 
re-elected in 1883, 1884, 1886, iSc)i, iSc)^ ami iS()4, thus being chosen chief magis- 
trate of the city seven terms. 

Dr. Mayham's administration of pul)lic affairs has Ix-en characterized by progress 
and advancement. All the modern improvements, sewerage and paving were con- 
structed during his terms and were strongly advocated by him. The principal 
s.treets of the city are now paved with cedar blocks, affording drives equaled \iy few 
cities of even larger population. 

Dr. Mayham is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and has just completed a 
term as E^xalted Ruler of the Fond du Lac Lodge of the Benevolent Protective 
Order of I'dks, of which society he is an active associate. 

On December 26, i860. Dr. Mayham married Miss Mary E. Baker, daughter of 
Colonel Abner Baker, of Emi)ire, Wisconsin. Bessie Mayham, the sole issue of 
this marriage, isat present a student of the Chicago Conservatory of Music and i^os- 
sesses remarkably fine vocal talent. 



TIMOTHY (). HOWE, 

(;ri-;i<:n bav. 

''piMOTlIN' O. HOWE, Cireen Bay, was born in O.xford county, Maine, Febru- 
-1- ary 24, 1816. At the age of twelve he took large interest in politics, being fully 
persuaded tliat the salvation of the nation depended on the election of John Ouincy 
Adams to the jiresidency. 1 le used to debate the point sharpl\- with his neighbors, 
whose political knowledge was as ])rofoiuid as his own. 

At sixteen he had fully determined on a professional course, and si)ent two 
seasons at grammar school. At eighteen he went to the Maine Wesleyan Semi- 
nary, and at twenty was prepared to enter college. His father at this time decided 
against a college course, and the young man at once commenced his law studies in 
the office of Samuel P. Benson of Winthrop, and subsequently with Judge Robin- 



REI'RESENTATIVIC MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 305 



son, of Ellsworth. .\l twenty-three he moved to Readfield and commenced law 
practice side by side with Lot M. Morrill, afterward his compeer in the United 
States Senate. 

In 1841, at the ripe ajjje of twenty-five, he was married to Miss L. A. llaynes, a 
true down-east girl then and a most estimable and agreeable woman liirou-^h all 
her subsequent career in life. 

In 1842 Mr. Howe expressed a willingness, to take the office of Clerk of the 
Court in his county, with the three-thousand-dollar emolument attached. It ha])- 
pened that one Mr. Kingsbury, an older resident, was of the same mind also, and 
obtained the nomination against him in the convention, but not the coveted office 
at election. The year following, Mr. Howe received the nomination squarely 
against his former rival, and on election day carried the towns on the west side of 
the county by the largest Whig majority ever cast, but the Kingsbury defection in 
the eastern towns lost him the election. So, as his subsequent career turned out, 
this defeat was the very best providence that could have happened to him. The 
next fall his friends of the west towns showed him their regard by electing him to 
the State Legislature, where he took a prominent part as a debater beside the late 
William Pitt Fessenden, the recognized leader of the House. 

At this period his health failed him, and his father and friends advised him to 
try Mr. Greeley's panacea for young men, and go West. Accordingly he set sail 
in the fall of 1845, and landed in the harbor of Green Bay on the 6th of October. 
He sloiJijeci here because he had seen one man from the Bay the previous sum- 
mer, and he did not know anybody else in the western country. He came with no 
fixed notion of staying, but the charming weather of that fall worked favorably to 
his health, attached him to the place, and he remained there. 

Green Bay at that time, though the oldest town in the State, gave little hope or 
signs of promise. There was no industry exhibited, no enterprise, no business, ex- 
cept the small fur trade with the Indians. The people were bankrupt and the coun- 
try desolate. Notwithstanding these discouraging signs, Mr. Howe opened a law 
office, his whole possessions consisting of a few law-books, a little furniture, and 
the unpurchasable stores of his brain, and these last have stood him well in hand. 
Mr. Howe was soon favorably heard of in all pa.'ts of the Territory, and upon its 
admission as a State in the Union in 1848, he received, much to his surprise, the 
Whig nomination for Congress. There was no show for any Whig candidate in 
those days. In 1850 he was elected Circuit Judge, his district taking in Fond du 
Lac, Sheboygan, and all the country north. At that time circuit judges served 
also as judges of the Supreme Court. In 1855 he resigned his judgeship, for the 
simple reason that he couldn't afford to give his time and labors to the State and 
bear all his expenses out of a fifteen hundred dollar salary. 

While on the bench he took no active part in politics, further than to Write a 
letter expressing his approbation of the organization of the Republican party at 
Madison in 1854. .After his resignation he entered into the fall campaign of 1855, 
strongly supporting Mr. Bashford, the Republican candidate for (^.overnor, against 
Mr. Barstow. In the winter following. Mr. Howe took part in that most extraordi- 
nary tri.il. wiiich resulird in ousting William A. Barstow from the office of Govi-r- 



^06 UI(ii;i<AI'IIU Al. Die 1 IDNAkV ANU POKTRAIT (iAl.LEKY OK THE 



nor, and |>nllin|4' ("olrs Hashloi'd in his |)1;uh'. judixc 1 lowf was associated in the 
CISC with 1'",. ("i. Rv'an, |. II. KnowUon and AU-xander W. Runchdl, on the siile of 
Mr. lia-^htord. Joniilhan E. Arnohi, llarh)\v .S. Orton and Matt. H. Carpenter 
were enHsted tor Mr. Barstow. These were all eminent |)ractitioners of that day. 
liuh^e Howe made the closni<j[ arjfumenl for the Hashford sich- of the case. Dur- 
uiy; the early !>art of the trial, Mr. Ryan switched off from the case, and his place 
was assiirned to Mr. Howe. Mr. Ryan was in political sympathy with Mr. Barstow, 
lull he knew the canvass of the ^nhernatorial votes was a fraud. 

Ilu- canvass for the office of United States Senator, in place of 1 lenry Dodge, 
opened with the meeting of the Legislature in 1857. Mr. Howe api)eared to be 
the leading cantlidate at first, but James R. Doolittle was finally chosen, after a 
protracted contest. The next senatorial election has held in the winter of 1861. 
Mr. Howe had not much confidence in his nomination, but was nominated and 
elected by the Republicans of the Legislature. 

The election of Mr. Howe to the United States Senate at this time was a just 
tribute to noble fidelity and stout-hearted independence, while the secession move- 
ments then going on at the South furnished practical information of the iniquity 
and folly oi the ultra State-rights doctrines he had opposed. Never was fidelity 
more justly honoreil in our State; never was political wisdom more truly vindicated. 

Mr. Howe's course in the Senate needs no setting forth in this sketch. He 
went to the capital at the most critical history of our Government, when secession 
clouds filled the whole heavens. Amid the distraction of opinion, Mr. Howe made 
his first speech. He told the Southern gentlemen that whether the President's 
message meant peace or war depended upon themselves, upon the course they 
should pursue. These were just the words needed to be said, and had marked effect. 
All through, during the progress of the war. Judge Howe was strongly on the side of 
the administration, and its measures for the vigorous prosecution of the war. He 
favored legal-tender issues, and made a speech on the subject. .Ami so, on all 
great questions of States' rights, finance and reconstruction after the war, has the 
political wisdom of the great Senator been made manifest. 

Judge Howe was on the committee on finance his first term in the Senate, and 
was eight )'ears chairman of the committee on claims. In the winter of 1S67 Judge 
Howe was re-elected to the Ihiited States Senate, and again in 1873, both times 
without opposition. In 1875 Senator Howe was appointed by President Grant one 
of the commissioners to treat with the Indians, relative to the purchase of the 
Black Hills territory. 

During the last term of President Grant, a vacancy happening in the bench of 
the United States Supremi- Cinut, Senator Howe was tendered the appointment, 
riu' t)fftce was the height of his ambition, but a higher sense of honor forbade the 
accejitance. The opposition was in power in his State, and if he should make a" 
vacancy in the senatorship, it would be filled by a Democrat. This act of self-de- 
nial and loyalty to the party who had confided in him was in the highest sense 
commendable. 

Upon the accession of Hayes to the presidency. Senator Howe was one of 
those in Ct)ngress who disapproved of the new President's Southern polic\', and was 
outspoken against it, continuing, luUwithstanding, on good terms with the adininis- 



RK1'RK.SENTAT1\K MKN OK TIIK UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 30g 

tration. At the close of his last term in the Senate, Judge Howe was a candidate 
for re-nomination, and failed of receiving it solely on account of advanced age, and 
that public sentiment was against long continuance in office, while younger men 
desired to share the honors of the high position. 

Senator Howe's senatorial career having terminated simultaneously with the 
inauguration of President Garfield, his name was mentioned in connection with a 
cabinet appointment, but his claims were not pressed, and he subsequently was 
appointed by the President commissioner to the international money conference 
held in Paris in the summer of 1881. He accordingly crossed the ocean in com- 
pany with the other in(Mnl)ers of the commission. At the sessions of this body 
ludgc ilowf took a prominent part. Before the final closing of the conference 
he was called home to his sick wife, who soon after died in Washington, in July, 188 1. 

judge Howe was always a conspicuous member of the Senate, and of the Re- 
publican party. In Congress he was a statesman, more than a partizan. No man 
has come out of Congressional life with a clearer record ; no Senator ever had a 
more universal approval by his constituents of his course in the body of which he 
was so long a period of years a member. 

Judge Howe was appointed by President Arthur Postmaster-(ieneral, and en- 
tered upon the duties January 5, 1882. Judge Howe is a good public speaker, of a 
logical turn of mind, and on suitable occasions is capable of gratifying an audience 
with a rich vein of humor inimitably expressed. Although having seen many years 
of puljlic service of high responsibilities, he is now, when nearly at the allotted age 
of man, as vigorous as in more youthful years. 

Tall and commanding in personal appearance, modest and retiring almost to a 
fault, true to his friends, just to all, no citizen of this State is the recipient of more 
genuine respect and hearty esteem than Timothy O. Howe. We have here given 
but a bare skeleton of our quaint Senator, devoid of the flesh and blood that make 
up the private and social life of the man. But nothing more needs to be said. His 
conduct in office and his standing before the country, more than any words that 
can be framed, attest his public and private worth. 

Since the publication of the foregoing biography, which appeared in Reed's 
■ Bench and Bar of Wisconsin" (1882), the honored subject has passed into the 
life eternal, his death occurring at Kenosha, Wisconsin, March 25, 1883, as a result 
of an attack of pneumonia. 



WILLI.VM M.TOMKINS, 



WILLIAM MAWBY TOMKINS was born at Loosely Row, Buckingham- 
shire. England, February 24, 1845. \^ hen he was only five years old his 
parents emigrated to this country and located at Shullsburg, then a brisk mining 
town in the lead regions of this State. His father, the Rev. William Tomkins, was 
a minister of the Methodist faith, who did valiant service for Ciod and the church 
in those early days when to be a minister meant a life of toil and self-denial. The 



BIOGKAniKAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



faithful laliors ami ill-paid scTYircs of tin' pioneer minister are matters of recent 
history familiar to everyl)Otly. With unswerving devotion to duty and prin- 
cii)le, he kindly delivered his messaije, in the face of the difficulties that 
would appall the boasted self-control of the business man of to-day. 

It was in such a school as this that the subject of this sketch early learned the 
lessons of endurance and self-reliance that were to serve him well in the coming 
years. L.ike many others who have been architects of their own fortimes, he 
workeil in the harxcst lirlds in order to earn for himself the means to prosecute 
his studies, and in this wa\- was I'uabled to take a classical course at Brunson Insti- 
tute, and later a scientific course at the State University at Madison. 

During the next few years he followed the examjile of most ambitious youths 
and taught tlu' \ illage school. In 1S7J he married bdi/abeth A. I'earce, of Iowa 
county, anil in Ai)ril, iS;^^, removed to Ashlanil. 

Ashland at this time was but an unambitious handet, olk-ring but few ojjpor- 
tunities to the new comer, and hence Mr. Tomkins shouldered his ax and si)ade 
and lent a helping hand in clearing the site of the future city. 

In December of 1873 he was elected Town Clerk, and re-elected to the same 
office in 1S74 and 1875. About this time Ashland began to be a place of refuge 
for criminals and "tough" men generally, who threatened to control the destinies 
of the town; and at a time when to hold such an otTice required some courage, Mr. 
Tomkins was elected Justice of the Peace, and administered tht- law with such a 
firm hand that the "toughs" were obliged to emigrate to a more congenial 
climate. 

This experience turned Mr. Tomkins' attention to the study of law, which he 
])rosecuted with so much diligence that in 1S75 he was admitted to the bar, and in 
November of that year elected District Attorney. This office he held for five suc- 
cessive years. During the first periixl of the growth of Ashland he arlso held the 
offices of County Clerk and C(umt\- Treasurer, in all ot which he made a faithful 
and trustworthy official. 

Mr. Tomkins has from the tirst been identified with the growth of Ashland, 
and the positions of trust he has received at the hands of his fellow citizens testify 
to his integritv ami business ability. He is at the present time a ilirector of the 
Ashland National Hank, and of the Ashland Water Company, and of the Ashland 
Street Railway & Lighting Companw 

As a lawyer Mr. Tomkins stands high in his profession, his early experience in 
town and county offices giving him pre-eminence as a real-estate lawyer. The law 
tirm of Tomkins & Merrill, of which our subject is the senior member, is the lead- 
ing one of .Ashhuul, ami its members practice in all the courts. Among its more 
prominent clients may be mentioned the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Com- 
pany, The Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad, The Ashhuul Water Com- 
pany, The Ashland Railway and Lighting Company, The First National Bank of 
Ashland, and the Ashland National Bank, as well as a majority of the lumber 
concerns in Ashlantl and the contiguous cities on the Chequamegon ba>-. 

Among the important cases in which Mr. Tomkins has been retained ma\- be 
citetl that of the Northern Pine Land Compan\' \ s. the directors of the riparian 




'^^t--'?-7 r < 



/1 7^ 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 313 

boundaries on the great lakes; and also Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha 
Railroad Company vs. Bayfield Company, the question involved in this case being 
the exemption from taxation of elevators and coal docks. 

Mr. romkins' position as a leader of the Ashland bar is due to persistent hard 
work and thorough and careful research. By industry and judicious investments 
he has secured a competency, which insures comfort for the remainder of his life. 

.Mr. and Mrs. Tomkins are the parents of five children : Andrew Pearce, Will- 
iam Clark, Orville Scott, Matthew Clair and Grace Elizabeth. 



HON. DANIEL WELLS, JR.. 

MILWAUKEE. 

A COMPLETE record of the career of him whose name heads this sketch would 
involve a recital of all the leading events of the history of Milwaukee, where 
he has lived the past fifty-nine years. He was one of that band of hardy pioneers 
whose faith in the future of the Northwest nerved them to lay deep and broad 
the foundations of the city, and whose dauntless courage and sturdy enterprise have 
marked the progress of her remarkable growth. But his labors have not been lim- 
ited to his own city; from early manhood his life has been one of unusual activity 
and enterprise and public spirit, and distinguished by that success which follows 
honoraljle, faithful and conscientious effort. 

He was born on July i6, 1808, at Waterville, Kennebec county, Maine, the son 
of Daniel Wells, a well-to-do farmer who also owned and managed a custom card- 
ing and cloth-dressing mill. He is of English ancestry, and traces his American 
origin to Thomas Wells, who came to America about the year 1635, from Colches- 
ter, Essex county, England, and made his first settlement with the Massachusetts 
colony, near Boston. Daniel Wells, Jr., is a direct descendant in the seventh gen- 
eration, and may justly claim to be as thoroughly American as any citizen of the 
State of Wisconsin. 

From a " Genealogy of the Wells Family, of Wells, Maine," by Charles K. 
Wells, of Milwaukee, it appears that the Wells or Welles family, of England, is of 
very ancient origin, traceable back to the time of the Norman Conquest. About 
1635, several families of that name (which was sometimes spelt Wells, but oftener 
Wellesi emigrated from England to this country. It is probable that Thomas 
Wells, of Ipswich, was the earliest emigrant of the family who settled in this coun- 
try. He came in 1635 to Boston from London, in the Susan and Ellen, with young 
Richard Saltonstall, and soon thereafter settled in Ipswich, Massachusetts. From 
him. on his father's side, Daniel Wells, Jr., is a descendant of the seventh genera- 
tion. On his mother's side he is descended from Seth .Sweetser, born in 1606, who 
(ame from Tring, Hertford county, England, in 1637, and settled in Charlestown, 
Massachusetts. Mr. Wells' grandfather was Richard Sweetser, who served in the 
war of the Revolution, and his grandmother was .Sarah (Mathewsl Sweetser, a 



314 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

sister of C(jUmu'1 jabez Mathews, who went as a spy into Canatla in advance of 
General Arnold's army, in its exi)edition against Quebec, in 1775. 

He passed his boyhood with his father on the farm and in the mill, and went to 
school during the winters, when opportunity offered. Before he was twenty years 
old he taught school two winters, devoting his spare time to the study of naviga- 
tion and surveying. He was inde|)endent and amljitious, and always ready for a 
business venture. 

In i8;o he invested his savings in a stock of ai)ples, cider, butter, cheese, dry 
goods, etc., which he took to Magnolia, near St. Marks, Florida, where a New Eng- 
land colony had settled. Cioing thence to Tallahassee, he chanced to meet one Rob- 
ert B. Kerr, who was a private tutor in the family of General Butler, Surveyor-Gen- 
eral of Florida. Mr. Kerr had been offered by General Butler a contract for 
surveying a large tract of Government land in eastern Florida, but lack of monej' 
prevented his accepting. Ready for any honorable enterprise, Mr. Wells agreed 
to furnish the money needed; and, disposing of his stock of goods at a handsome 
profit, he purchased the necessary outfit. The work of the survey began on De- 
cember 25. Mr. Wells, making good use of his knowledge of navigation and mathe- 
matics, with the help of Mr. Kerr, became proficient in the science of surveying. 
The survey of some 500 miles, for which they received $4 per mile, was completed 
the latter part of March, 1831. The venture was financially profitable for Mr. Wells, 
although it cost him dearly, for he was sick several months with chills and fever as 
a result of his hardships and e.xposure in the Florida swamps. In September, 1831, 
he engaged in business at Palmyra, Maine, having shipped thither a stock of goods 
which he purchased in Boston. 

/\t Palmyra he married Miss Marcia Br\ant, daughter of Dr. Bezer Bryant, of 
Anson, Somerville county, Maine, on November 23, 1831. He conducted his busi- 
ness with success until the spring of 1835. While a resident of Maind, Mr. Wells 
held the different offices of Justice of the Peace, Selectman, Town Clerk, Assessor 
and Overseer of the Poor. It was at this time that he became so impressed with 
the possibilities of the West that he went thither in company with Mr. Winthrop W. 
Gilman, also a native of Waterville. The following pertaining to this trip is from 
a letter published in the Waterville Mail, August 21, 1885 : 

" Upon the arrival of the boat at Milwaukee, July 27, 1835, Wells left it and 
Gilman went on to Chicago, where he remained a short time: thence he returned to 
Maine. Previous to the arrival of the boat at Milwaukee, the two had formed an 
agreement for the joint investment of their money in lots and lands in what is now 
the eastern part of Wisconsin. To Wells was intrusted the business of making the 
investments ; so Gilman turned over to him his money, amounting to $7,000. * * 
The country between this place (Milwaukee) and Green Bay was heavily timbered, 
and when Wells made his first trip there on horseback through the pathless woods 
he had to make it by compass. Sometimes he wouhl lind an impassable swamp 
ahead. He would then withdraw and find a passage around the swamp. He car- 
ried all his own and Gilman's money upon his person. * * * The public sale of 
Government land in Wisconsin was held at Green Bay, in August, 1S35. This sale 
Mr. Wells attended and made some purchases, but the greater part of iiis purchases 



RKPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 315 

were made of pri\ate parties. His principal purchases were of lots and land here, 
althoiit^h he boui^ht some land in Manitowoc. In some cases the whole purchase 
price was paid down. In others, only a part of the purchase money was paid, the 
balance was on time, and generally secured by a mortgage. His whole purchases 
exceeded the joint funds of himself and Oilman. The ne.xt year he and Mr. Gil- 
man made a division of the lots and lands purchased on their joint account." 

Returning to Palmyra, Mr. Wells arranged to move his effects to Milwaukee, 
to the great regret of his Eastern friends, who regarded the departure from them of 
one who had been so public-spirited as little less than a public calamity. This sen- 
timent was embodied in a set of resolutions, adopted at a mass meeting of his fel- 
low-citizens, expressing in heartfelt words their tender and high regard for him as 
a friend and citizen. Accompanied by his wife he left his home in April, and ar- 
ri\((l in Milwaukee on May iq, 1836. 

i le now turned his knowledge of surveying to good account in the young city, 
which was expanding in all directions, and soon became known as a trustworthy and 
enterprising citizen. Recognizing his abilities, Governor Henry Dodge, on August 
2, 1836, appointed him Justice of the Peace for Milwaukee county, comprising what 
is now Milwaukee, Washington, Ozaukee, Jefferson, Racine, Walworth and Keno- 
sha counties. This was under the first organization of the Territory of Wisconsin, 
which took effect July 4, 1836. On March 13, 1837, he was elected a member of the 
executive committee of the Claim Organization, formed to protect the squatter 
until he could get title to his land from the Government. In 1838 he was one of 
the Trustees for the east side of Milwaukee, and on September 4th, of that year was 
api)ointed Probate Judge. In 1841 he was elected one of Milwaukee's F"ire War- 
dens, his associates in office being Alexander Mitchell and Maurice Pixley. He 
rendered efficient service as Under-Sheriff in 1842, and on April 3d, of that year, 
was appointed commissioner in bankruptcy, and held the office until the repeal of 
the bankrupt law. He also held the offices of County Supervisor and Town Sur- 
veyor. He made the first survey and plat of town lots on the south side, in what is 
now the P'ifth ward of the city of Milwaukee. He also surveyed on platted tracts 
in the First and Seventh wards. But of all his varied services in those early days, 
that as a member of the Territorial Council, to which he was elected in the fall of 
1838, was, perhaps, the most marked. His colleague was Mr. William A. Prentiss. 
Their district comprised what is now Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington 
and Jefferson counties. It was the first session of the Legislature held at Madison, 
and in the absence of a State house, which was not yet ready for occupancy, the 
Council convened in the dining-room of a hotel. The body was composed of men 
of ability, whose work was of lasting good to the State. The Territory had there- 
tofore been governed under the laws of Michigan, and the special work of these 
legislators was to enact a code of laws suited to their own needs. Mr. Wells served 
on the committees on Territorial affairs, finance, ways and means, schools, Territo- 
rial roads and enrollment. His efforts were specially directed to secure measures 
beneficial to his own city, and among the important measures who.se passage he se- 
cured was that authorizing his county to build a bridge across the Milwaukee river. 
The right to bridge a navigable stream was strenuously denied, and much litiga- 



3l6 BIOGRAI'IIICAL DICTIONARY AND I'CJKTKAIT (JALl.EKY OK THE 

tlon ensued, but the enactment was fully sustained by the courts. He also secured 
the passage of a law as a protection of actual settlers against non-resident land- 
holders who had monopolized large tracts during the land excitement of 1836, for spec- 
ulative purposes, to the effect that taxes should be assessed against the land alone and 
not against the improvements thereon. This law, rendered necessary by the exigen- 
cies of the times, remained in force until the Territory of Wisconsin became a State. 

In a recent magazine article entitled " New Ideas in Taxation," Mr. Holder, 
Treasurer of South Australia, speaks of the method of taxing land without taking 
any account of improvements, as an idea that came from America, which has been 
incorporated in South Australian legislation for ten years. He says, " perhaps with 
this scheme began the record of new ideas in taxation.," It is interesting thus to 
note that this scheme, first adopted by the pioneer settlers of " wild and woolly 
Wisconsin" at the suggestion of Mr. Wells, as a protection against non-resident 
land speculators, is now treated by the Australian writer as a " comprehensive idea 
that has come to stay." Another important service by Mr. Wells that should not be 
overlooked, was in preparing and securing the passage, through a Legislature hostile 
to banking in any form, of the charter of the Wisconsin Marine & Fire Insurance 
Company. The strength and legal exactness ,oi' the charter were fully tested in 
1844, when the Legislature tried in vain to repeal it. Although elected for four 
years, Mr. Wells resigned at the end of the fourth session, which closed August 14, 
1840. His next public office was as Commissioner from Wisconsin to the World's 
Exposition, held in the Crystal Palace, of London, in 1851. While abroad he vis- 
ited Scotland, Ireland, France and other European countries, and returned home 
in March, 1852. 

In his political affiliations Mr. Wells was originally a Whig. After settling in 
Milwaukee, the interests of the Territory governed him, in common with his asso- 
ciates, and little regard was had for party distinction prior to the organization of 
the State government. Since that event he has acted with the Democratic part3^ 
though not always supporting its measures. He opposed the Kansas-Nebraska 
policy of his party, and during the war of the Rebellion was an earnest supporter of 
the Union cause. In 1852 he was elected as against Mr. Durkee, the nominee of 
the Free Soil party, and Mr. Durand, of the Whigs, to represent the First district 
of Wisconsin in the Thirty-third Congress, which assembled December 5, 1853. 
Here his course was characterized by devotion to the interests of his State, which 
had received, but little attention from the general Government; and while he made 
no pretensions as a public speaker his influence in the committee room was marked. 
The following were among the early measures introduced by him: 

" A bill granting right of way and granting alternate sections of the public 
land to the State of Wisconsin and its grantees and assigns to aid in the construc- 
tion of a railroad from Milwaukee to Prairie du Chien, on the Mississippi river." 

" A bill giving the right of way and granting alternate sections of land to the 
State of Wisconsin and its grantees and assigns, to further the construction of cer- 
tain railroads therein specified." 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 317 

'■ A l)ill oiviiijj;: rii^ht of way and granting alternate sections of public land to 
the Stales of Michiiran, Wisconsin and their grantees and assigns, to further the 
construction of certain railroads therein specified." 

He also introduced a bill providing for the purchase of a site and the erection 
of a suitable building at Milwaukee for a postoffice and custom house, and secured 
an appropriation of $50,000 for that purpose. During the same session he intro- 
duced a resolution instructing the committee on postottices and post roads to report 
a bill reducing ocean postage to a uniform rate of ten cents each on letters not ex- 
ceeding one-half ounce in weight, and followed it by securing the passage of a joint 
resolution by the Wisconsin Legislature relating to cheap postage. He also intro- 
duced a measure relating to foreign and coasting trade on the northern, northeast- 
ern and northwestern frontiers. At the session of 1854 he introduced bills making 
appropriations for the improvement of Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha harbors, 
and secured an additional appropriation of $38,000 for the Milwaukee postofifice 
and custom house. In appreciation of his great service, he was re-elected to the 
Thirty-fourth Congress, which opened December 3, 1855. The candidates for 
Speaker of the House were William A. Richardson, Lewis D. Campbell, Hum- 
phrey Marshall and N. P. Banks. It was a close contest, and day after day passed 
without any choice being made. The difficulty arose from the fact that it required 
a majority vote to elect. Mr. Wells, having regard for the good of the whole coun- 
try rather than the triumph of any party, went quietly to work among his friends 
and secured eleven Democrats besides himself who were willing to vote for plurality 
rule. Such a rule was adopted on the first of February, 1856, after nearly two 
months of balloting, and the first ballot under that rule Mr. Banks was elected. Mr. 
Wells' action in this matter won him the respect and confidence of the leaders in 
the House, and gave him great influence. Chiefly by his influence and efforts were 
secured the valuable land grants for railroads in Minnesota, in the Congress of 
1835 and 1857. At the end of his second term he declined re-election, though 
strongly urged to become a candidate, feeling that his private affairs demanded his 
whole attention. 

Much as his time had been devoted to public matters, Mr. WClls' position and 
service as a business man and citizen of Milwaukee must not be overlooked. 
Through his early purchases of land, he became one of the most extensive dealers 
in real estate, and was from an early day a promoter of public improvements. In 
1 844 he built the present Kirby House, which was opened under the name of the City 
Hotel. I'rom 1847 to 1849 he was a member of the firm of Dousman & Wells, en- 
gaged in shipping and storage, and also in buying and .selling grain and other farm 
products. During that time and 1848, he was one of the organizers of the Madi.son, 
Watertown & Milwaukee Plank Road Company. Im-oui 1849 to 1S56, associated 
with Mr. Horatio Hill under the firm name of Wells ..K: Hill, he conducted a large 
trade in grain and wool. Since 1847, when, in connection with another gentleman, 
he built the large lumber mill at Escanaba, Michigan, he has held extensive inter- 
ests in the lumber trade, and besides his interest in this plant, he is at present (1894) 
in the X. Ludington Company, the Ludington, Wells & Van Shaick Company, the 
H. Whitbeck Company, and the 1. .Stejjhenson Company. He was a stockholder 



3i8 HIOGRAIMIK'AL DICTIONARY AND I'ORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

and director in the Wisconsin Marine & Fire Insurance Company until its reorgan- 
ization under the State law ; for many years president of the Green Bay Bank, he 
held the same office after that institution became the First National Bank of La 
Crosse. He was vice president of the old Board of Trade during its short exist- 
ence, and for many years has been a member of the Milwaukee Chamber of Com- 
merce. He is now a director of the Northwestern National Insurance Company. 
He has always favored all measures tending to the development of railroads in the 
Northwest. The Northern Pacific Railroad has no firmer friend than he; and as 
long ago as 1847, when a bill to incorporate the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad 
passed the Wisconsin Legislature, he was named as one of the commissioners 
therein. Laboring under the greatest obstacles and in the face of countless dis- 
couragements, he, with his associates, accomplished results that entitle him to the 
highest distinction as a public benefactor. He served in a like capacity in securing 
the Milwaukee & Watertown Railroad, which afterward became the LaCrosse di- 
vision of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. He was president of the 
LaCrosse & Milwaukee Railroad, and was also president and a director of the 
Southern Minnesota and of the St. Paul & Minnesota Valley Railroad. 

For many years Mr. Wells has declined to take public ofifice of any kind, but 
his interest in the welfare of his city and State has not abated. He is not a man 
of many words, but by uprightness and integrity in his dealings with his fellow-men 
he has always held their high esteem and confidence. It is his pride to be num- 
bered with the noble band of pioneers, whose courage and devotion, together with 
their faith in its future, have done so much to make the wild territory which they first 
settled the rich and important State which it now is. 



HARVEY B. DALE, M. D., 



HARVEY B. DALE, a distinguished physician and public-spirited citizen of 
Oshkosh, is a native of Seneca county. New York, where he was born Octo- 
ber 23, 1835. He is a son of William F. and Philinda (Sutton) Dale. Paternally 
he traces his ancestry to natives of the north of Ireland, and his character bears 
the imprint of the strength attributed to that hardy race of people. His father was 
a shoemaker, — a man of but limited means. He moved to Bath, New York, about 
ten years after the subject of this sketch was born, and there the child grew to man- 
hood. He was an ambitious youth and desired to obtain a higher education than 
was offered by the opportunities at his command. He attended the common 
schools and then the high school in Bath, and read medicine as opportunity offered. 
To continue his studies he was forced to work on a farm during the summer, and 
by economically guarding his earnings he was enabled to attend school in the win- 
ters. In 1856 he came West to Fond du Lac with Dr. T. J. Patchen, his uncle, in 
whose office he studied medicine and prepared for a course at a medical college. 




y^.^^A^^ 



KKl'KKSKNTATnE MKN Ol- I'llE UNITEU STATKS; WISCONSIN VOl.UMK. 32 1 

IK- atteii(k'(l tlie Ckncland 1 lomeopalliic Mt.'dical C<)ll(;<rc, and j^raduated there- 
from in 1860. In that year he located in Oshkosh and entered upon the practice of 
his profession. His experience was not very much different from that usual to the 
young physician starting in a strange community, but he was young, ambitious and 
full of energy, and had mastered his studies. Therefore his practice gradually in- 
crea until it grew to be. as large as any in the city. Prom the day he began pro- 
fessional work he devoted himself to his duties with rare enthusiasm, neglecting no 
available means for increasing his scientific knowledge or imjjroving his skill, or of 
adding to his fund of general information; and success rewarded his efforts. 

Dr. Dale has always been a member of the Democratic party, and has ever 
strongly advocated the principles of Democracy as advocated by Jefferson, Jackson, 
Tilden and Cleveland. He always has been deeply interested in educational mat- 
ters, and has probably done as much as any other man for the public school system 
of this part of the State. He was elected by the people of Oshkosh to the ofifice of 
Superintendent of Public Schools eleven distinct times, when that was an elective 
office, — an honor that indicated the manner in which his efforts were appreciated. 
In further appreciation of his exertions in the cause of education, one of the largest 
of the ward schools of the city was given his name, and is known as the Dale 
School. 

.A man as active as he is could not long remain uncalled upon to serve his fel- 
low-citizens in various positions of trust. Besides being .Superintendent of Public 
.Schools for eleven years, he is now a member of the School Board as Commissioner 
at large for the city of Oshkosh, and is also a member of the Board of Regents of 
the State University, having been appointed to that position by (iovcrnor Peck, be- 
cause of his large experience in educational affairs. 

Four different times have his fellow-citizens elected him Mayor of Oshkosh. 
He was elected the first time in 1879, and again in 1880. In 1887 he was again 
elected, and in 1888 his fellow-citizens honored him with a re-election. During his 
administration the city's affairs were conducted satisfactorily to both parties, and 
improvements of various kinds were constructed. 

In 1861 Dr. Dale married Augusta S. Olcott, of P'ond du Lac. One son, H. B. 
Dale, Jr., a Doctor of Medicine and now City Physician, is the sole issue of this 
marriage. For thirty years Dr. Dale has been a member of the Masonic fraternity. 

The Doctor is interested in fine horses and makes the horse a study. He 
breeds his stock up to a high standard, and raises many fine animals. He conducts 
iiis live-stock operations for his amusement and recreation, and not for profit, in- 
dulging his fancy in this respect as one of the luxuries to which he is entitled after 
years of hard work. 

Dr. Dale has always been noted for his diligence and industry. He possesses a 
remarkable capacity for thought and energy, and there are few men in his pro- 
fession able to accomplish more in a given time. His work in behalf of education 
cannot be too highly commended. He has labored disinterestedly in behalf of all 
advancement for the city, and commands the respect of the entire community. He 
has climbed the ladder of success until he has attained the position he now occu- 
pies among the profession. For a third of a century he has resided in Oshkosh, 



322 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

and as an illustration of the esteem in which he is held we quote the words of one 
of the citizens of Oshkosh, who, while differing from the Doctor politically, says 
"There is no man of Oshkosh more popular among the people, nor one who pos- 
sesses their undoubting confidence more than does Dr. Dale." 



HENRY D. SMITH, 

APPLETON. 

HE whose name heads this biography is one of Appleton's foremost figures; for he 
is one of the city's most prominent and positive characters, and is always iden- 
tified with every feasible movement looking toward the advancement of the city 
and its citizens. Of keen discernment, he has in the course of an honorable business 
career been most successful in the enterprises in which he has engaged, and has 
accumulated a handsome competency. 

Henry D. Smith was born in Johnstown, Ohio, June 23, 1841, and is of distin- 
guished lineage, his grandfather, Henry Smith, having been an early settler in Ohio, 
and one of the first Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of that State, having been 
elected in 180Q. 

The father of our subject, Jonathan Smith, was by occupation a stock-raiser and 
his mother, whose maiden name was Prudence Gardner, belonged to the Connecticut 
family of Whipples. • 

Our subject received his rudimentary education in the common schools of his 
native village, after which he prepared for college, and in the fall of 1859 entered 
the Michigan State University at Ann Arbor, where he pursued the regular course 
of studies for three years; at the expiration of that period he entered the law depart- 
ment of the University, at which he graduated in 1864. 

He had previously been admitted to the bar, and upon receiving his degree he 
located in Marquette, Michigan, and entered upon the practice of his profession, 
forming a partnership with J. M. Wilkinson under the title of Wilkinson & Smith, 
— a connection that continued until 1873 with a considerable degree of success. 

In the fall of 1864 Mr. Smith was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Marquette on 
the Democratic ticket, he was also chosen County Treasurer, and later village Pres- 
ident, he being the last President of the village of Marquette before its incorpora- 
tion as a city. He has never held office since. He has, however, changed his politi- 
cal views during recent years, and has now for the past eight years been identified 
with the Republican party, casting his first vote in favor of Republican principles 
when Hon. James G. Blaine was the presidential candidate. 

Mr. Smith is a member of the Wisconsin State central committee, and was an 
alternate to the Republican convention of 1892 at Minneapolis. While he cannot be 
called a politician, he materially aids his party in its campaigns. In 1873, owing to 
his wife's ill health, Mr. Smith moved to Appleton, where he at once engaged in 
iron manufacturing, purchasing an interest in the Appleton Iron Company, and be- 
coming its secretary and treasurer. 




T 




A'7"37^^--^^L^J~~ 



RKI'KESENTATIXK .MKN UK lllK UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 325 



The company failed in 1876, and was reorganized as the Appleton Furnace 
Company, in whicii latter organization Mr. Smith filled the same offices. This 
company's affairs were wound up in 1892. 

In 1878 Mr. Smith bought the property at Ue Pere of the National Furnace 
Company and reorganized the corporation. Since that time he has been the pres- 
ident and controlling spirit of the company, and its success has been largely due to 
.his sound executive capabilities. 

P"or eight or ten years Mr. Smith was vice-president of the First National Bank 
of Api)leton, and in 1891 was elected to the presidency of that financial institution, 
a position he still holds. The capital stock of the bank is $300,000, with a surplus 
of $40,000, and its average deposits are about $900,000. Its career has been very 
successful, and its success is the natural result of sound and safe business methods. 

Mr. Smith is interested in a number of Appleton's most prominent manufactur- 
ing enterprises, being a director in the Riverside Fibre Company, the Appleton 
Woolen Mill and the Appleton Chair Company. Notwithstanding his numerous 
business associations he has devoted considerable time to travel, and has visited 
most sections of the United States. He is a member of the Masonic order, but of 
late years, owing to increased business cares, he has not been very active in the 
society's affairs. He was married in 1869 to Miss Elizabeth Deeker, of Paterson, 
New Jersey. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have one child, a daughter, Mabel. Mr. Smith's 
career affords a notable instance of the power of patient perseverance and conscien- 
tious working in crowning the labors of the individual with most complete success, 
and illustrates the fact that practical industry, truly and vigorously applied, never 
fails of success, but carries a man onward and upward, brings out his character and 
powerfully stimulates the action of others both in present and future generations. 
Personally, he is magnetic and sociable, — meeting all with a kindly smile and 
cheerful word, and it can safely be stated that no man in Appleton can count more 
warm personal admirers than Mr. Smith. 



JOSEPH V. QUARLES, 

MILWAUKEE. 

rOSFPH \'. QUARLES was born in the village of Southport, now Kenosha, 
Wisconsin, December 16, 1843. His father, Joseph V. Ouarles, Sr., was born in 
New llami)shire, and his mother, Caroline B., was a native of New York. They 
were among the early settlers of Wisconsin and were married at Southport. Their 
ancestors were prominent during the Revolutionary war. Our subject attended 
the schools of his native town and was graduated from the high school of Kenosha 
at the age of seventeen. His father was one of the founders of the factory now 
carried on by the Bain Wagon Company of Kenosha. The financial panic of 1857 
forced this previously prosperous business to suspend operations, and the father 
was left with scant means to assist his sons in their college aspirations. Young 
loseph displayed that unfaltering courage and determination which has been so 
great a factor in his remarkable career. Teaching school in Kenosha, doing odd 



326 BIOGRArnUAl. DICTIONARY AND rORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



literary work, and Hnally borrowing money from well-to-do relatives, he entered 
the University of Michigan in 1862. His record at college reveals the mental abili- 
ties which gave so much promise during boyhood. He was elected president of 
the freshman class, and delivered the oration on class day. 

The war breaking out at this time he left college and enlisted in the Thirty- 
ninth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and was appointed First Lieutenant 
of Company C. Mustered out at the expiration of his term of enlistment, he re- 
turned to college and was graduated with the degree of A. B., and was chosen to 
deliver one of the graduating orations. Having but limited funds, he attended the 
law department of Michigan University for one year only. Returning to his home 
he entered the law office of Mr. O. S. Head, one of the oldest practitioners of the 
State. Mr. Ouarles was admitted to the bar in April, 1868, before Judge William 
P. Lyon of the Circuit Court at Kenosha, and at once formed a partnership with 
his distinguished preceptor under the firm name of Head & Ouarles. 

Mr. Head, advanced in years and possessed of a fortune, declined the more ac- 
tive duties of the firm, and Mr. Ouarles was called into the higher courts, and had 
to oppose the older and leading attorneys of the State. During his association 
with Mr. Head, which lasted until that gentleman's death in 1875, Mr. Ouarles was 
district attorney for Kenosha county for six years. As a young man he enjoyed the 
fullest respect and confidence of the people, and was elected Mayor of the city in 
1876, and declined a renomination. He was president of the Board of Education 
in 1877 and 1878; member of the Assembly in 1879, and represented Kenosha and 
Walworth counties in the State Senate in 1880 and 1881. While a member of the 
Senate he rose to a position of distinction and influence in that body, and served on 
the judiciary and other important committees. 

In the senatorial contest of 1881 the excitement attending the election of a suc- 
cessor to Angus Cameron in the United States Senate ran high, and without solici- 
tation the friends of Mr. Ouarles tendered him a complimentary vote,-which as- 
sumed such proportions that it was with much effort that he prevented what would 
have been a most material compliment. Hard work and unceasing devotion to his 
profession compelled Mr. Ouarles to retire from active public life, and his physician 
enjoined rest and a change of scene. 

Leaving Kenosha he went to Racine, Wisconsin, and formed a partnership 
with Mr. John B. Winslow, the firm being dissolved on the elevation of Mr. Wjns- 
low to the bench of the First Judicial Circuit. A year later Mr. T. W. Spence, of 
Fond du Lac, removed to Racine and became associated with Mr. Ouarles under 
the firm name of Ouarles & Spence, which on the admission of a son of Judge Dyer 
was changed to Ouarles, Spence & Dyer. In 1888 the firm moved to Milwaukee 
and began its very remarkable career under the name of Ouarles, Spence & Ouarles, 
a younger and able brother of our subject becoming the junior member of the 
firm. 

As an advocate Mr. Ouarles is especially prominent, having been connected 
with some of the mosted noted cases in Wisconsin. In the memorable "Charley 
Ford horse case, " with Senator Doolittle and other eminent lawyers opposing him, 
he obtained judgment for his client for several thousand dollars, which was after- 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 



ward affirmed by the Supreme Court. Retained by tlie State to assist in the prose- 
cution of the Hurley Bank robbery case, which attracted such wide-spread atten- 
tion, owing to the large amount of money involved and the great complexity of the 
attending circumstances, Mr. Quarles established his reputation as a forensic law- 
yer of great ability, and convicted Leonard Perrin of receiving the stolen money 
from his adopted son and confederate. This conviction created unusual comment, 
owing to the prominence of Banker Perrin, the purely circumstantial character of 
the evidence and the intimidating methods of the defendant's attorneys, who had 
been invincible in their stronghold. The Horan poisoning case furnished another 
illustration of his skill and industry. Although popular opinion had set in strongly 
against her, he cleared this young woman of a most serious charge. Mr. Ouarles 
argued the Russell murder case before the Supreme Court and succeeded in reversing 
a conviction of murder in the first degree, and afterward succeeded in obtaining an 
acquittal upon technical grounds. He successfully conducted the La Crosse Park 
case, and obtained a verdict in favor of his client for possession of one of the princi- 
pal parks in the city of La Crosse. He was retained by the State in the prose 
cution of the Mead murder case, and participated in the celebrated " Treasury cases." 

Mr. Ouarles possesses in an eminent degree all those qualities which command an 
audience, enlist a court and move a jury. His presentation of a case shows careful 
and original research and bears the impress of a logical and well trained mind. As 
a cross-examiner, he displays wonderful adroitness, quick to detect the weak spots 
in adverse testimony; he marks out a plan of attack which seldom fails to afford 
him a decided advantage in the preliminary skirmish. As an orator of unusual 
ability and education, his address to the jury and court is eloquent, earnest and 
forcible, and from his great resources he draws at will, using his gifts with rare 
skill. Courteous and considerate to all, his language and manners have the stamp 
of the true gentleman, and obtain for him the respect and friendship of all classes. 
He has but little time to devote to i)olitics, but as a Republican has made campaign 
speeches in behalf of the party for the last twenty years. He is a member of the 
Grand Army of the Republic and of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion. 

He married Miss Carrie A. Saunders, an accomplished lady of Chicago, in 
1868, and has three promising sons. Essentially literary in tastes and habits, Mr. 
Ouarles still pursues his readings and studies as a source of recreation, and is often 
called upon to deliver addresses. Still in the prime of life, and in the light of a past 
worthy and honorable career, we may predict possibilities in the life of this es- 
teemed citizen that will be limited only by his own ambitions. 

J. \V. PERLEY, 

ST. CROIX FALLS. 

f OlIX VV'LSLEV PERLEY, a distinguished business man of northern Wiscon- 
'J sin, and the president of the Bank of St. Croix Falls, was born in Bridgeton, 
Maine, February 25, 1844. Few citizens of northern Wisconsin are better known 
than Mr. Perley. who is a pioneer lumberman of this section of the State, and comes 
of a famiU' of lumbcriucn whose name was at one time a household word in Maine. 



330 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

To the Pine Tree State is largely due the wonderful growth of the lumber interests 
of the Northwest, for it has sent forth those hardy and worthy pioneers who, emi- 
grating Westward, settled in this part of the country and made Wisconsin and Min- 
nesota the foremost States in the lumber business of the Union. Being one of the 
early comers into this timber region, Mr. Perley has been largely interested in a 
number of enterprises pertaining to the lumber industry. He arrived in Wiscon- 
sin when scarcely more than a boy, but was not long in placing himself at the head 
of an institution of his own. His career has been an active one and has been di- 
rectly in the interest of the State he has made his home. 

The life record of so prominent a man will certainly be of interest to many of 
the readers of this volume. Mr. Perley's parents were Daniel and Lavinia (Thomp- 
son) Perley, the former a native of the State of Maine, and a man whose success in 
life, previous to the panic of 1836, was somewhat remarkable. He was a typical 
lumberman and was closely identified with enterprises of great importance. The 
collapse of the land speculations which had affected the entire United States, several 
years previous to 1836, nearly wiped his fortune out of existence, and he retired to 
his farm, where his son was born. The family is of Welsh-English descent, and is 
now as nearly American as it is possible for it to be. 

The early life of our subject was passed chiefly in helping his father upon the 
homstead and attending the common schools of the neighborhood during winter 
months. In these primitive institutions he obtained the least possible learning con- 
sistent with the name of education. The "three R's" were all that were taught, 
and these in a very indifferent way. After his fourteenth year Mr. Perley received 
no educational instruction whatever, and when his father died, in 1857, he was 
obliged to give his entire attention to the affairs of the farm. While this life did 
not advance the theoretical side of his nature, it did, however, early make a man of 
him, — one capable of seeing the practical side of life and of acting in an independ- 
ent way, relying solely upon his own exertions. 

In 1863, when he had reached his nineteenth year, Mr. Perley, desiring to see 
more of the world than was comprised within the boundaries of Maine, came to 
Wisconsin, and at once made his way to the pineries in the northern part of the 
State. He first located in Brookville, on the Eau Galle river, St. Croix county, 
where he closely canvassed the opportunities presented in the lumber business. 
He soon after returrted to the East, but on his coming West again purchased, April 
Q, 1864, a tract of land and a sawmill, at Brookville. Immediately he began to im- 
prove his property. In those days, before the advent of the railroads, the lumber 
manufacturing business was of the most primitive kind, and the demand for the 
manufactured products was of a comparatively insignificant nature. A mill sawing 
from a million to a million and a half feet of lumber annually was of considerable 
importance. Mr. Perley's mill was operated by water power and had a capacity of 
two and a half million feet per annum. Afterward a steam mill was erected and 
conducted successfully for some years. Later he bought, near Hammond, Wiscon- 
sin, a tract of land which he sold to settlers for farming purposes, and which is now 
one of the best farming districts of the State. Of this property Mr. Perley still 
owns 200 acres. In 1872, in company with George Brackett and Jerry F"lint, he 



KKl'KKSKNTATlVl-; MKN Ol" THE U.MTElJ STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 33I 

l)uilt a large brick building at River Falls, and there opened a hardware store under 
the firm name of Brackett & Perley. This business was successful as long as Mr. 
Perley was connected with it, which was two years. In 1877 he went to Polk county, 
and for two years conducted a lumber business near what is now known as Clear 
Lake. In 1880 he founded the Andrews & Perley Lumber Company, said company 
comprising Dr. A. D. Andrews, of River Falls, a distinguished citizen and physician, 
whose army record was a most creditable one; his brother, B. W. Andrews, also of 
River Falls; and Mr. Perley. The last named was elected president of the com- 
pany and serves in that capacity to the present time. This company founded the 
town of Perley, Barron county, on the line of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & 
Omaha Railroad, and there established a large sawmill, which at the time was con- 
sidered among the best equipped and one of the largest in the State. The company 
was exceedingly successful from its inception, and manufactured from eight to ten 
million feet of lumber annually. The operations of the company extended over a 
period of ten years, and Mr. Perley still owns a large portion of the land surround- 
ing the town, though the lumber has nearly been exhausted. In 1888 Mr. Perley 
founded the Bank of St. Croix F"alls, was elected its first president and still holds 
that position. During the existence of this bank it has been conducted in a most 
conscientious and conservative manner, and has won the entire confidence of its pat- 
rons. There has not been a day in its existence that it could not pay in full the de- 
mands made upon it; and during the panic of 1893, when banks suspended through- 
out the entire country, it was the only bank in this section which did not have to 
withstand a run. The conservative management of the bank had inspired the peo- 
ple of the community with such confidence that no fear was felt over the safety of 
the deposits. 

In i8qo Mr. Perley became interested in the Carpenter Bar Gold Mining Com- 
pany, which owns and operates a valuable placer mine in Deer Lodge county, Mon- 
tana. This property is considered one of the best paying placer mines in the State. 
It was discovered in 1862, has been continuously worked since, and it is estimated 
that it has produced $5,000,000 of gold during that time. It comprises 500 acres of 
land, of which less than one-half has been worked. At present Mr. Perley pays 
special attention to his extensive real-estate interests. He owns between 11,000 and 
12,000 acres of land in northern Wisconsin, the same being well adapted for farming 
purposes. 

In 1870 Mr. Perley married Miss Maria K. Edwards, of River P'alls. To them 
was born a son, to whom they were exceedingly devoted, namely: John Edwards 
Perley, who was born in Hammond, Wisconsin, August 12, 1872, and who at the 
time of his death was twenty years old. The immediate cause of his death was 
heart failure. From a child he lacked a strong constitution, and his parents were 
advised by their physician to seek a milder climate for him. 

They first went to California, in the fall of 1886, making Santa Rosa their per- 
manent residence after 1888. It was there that young Mr. Perley took his advanced 
studies, first in the private school of Rev. S. M. Dodge, then graduating with high 
honors at the business college under the management of Professor Morrison, one 
year before his death. From this time, however, his health began to fail percepti- 



332 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

bly, and although all that loving thoughtfulness could devise was done, it could not 
avail. As a last resort he, with his faithful mother, hurried to Arizona to seek the 
health so dearly prized. And there, quietly, peacefully, he gave up his young life, 
on February 14, 1892. He was ever quick to help his friends and thoughtful for 
their happiness. One of his teachers paid this beautiful tribute to his manhood: 
"The love his teachers and companions bore him was earned not only by conscien- 
tious study and application in the classroom, but also by his consistent and manly 
bearing on the playground and in the home. The test of a young man's character 
is found in the home. He was not lacking there. He was far more thoughtful of 
the dear ones of his home circle than most people, being especially careful of his 
mother's comfort. His appreciation of what others did for him and his thoughtful- 
ness for their comfort were component parts of his character. He did not fear to 
die. He said, 'It is all right with me.' We believe he passed away to be with Him 
in whom he trusted." Thus Mr. Perley was deprived of that which he held most 
dear in this world, and only the memory of his beloved son remains behind. 

Mr. Perley has always been a member of the Republican party. He is a lover 
of freedom and equal rights to all citizens irrespective of social conditions. His 
patriotism takes the form of Republicanism because his sympathies with the op- 
pressed find in that party their most fitting exponent. He is known as a friend of 
fair dealing, and has the ability and force of character to make his opinions felt and 
respected. He is, however, in no wise a politician, and though he has held what he 
considers unimportant local offices, he has ever refused to become a candidate for 
political honors. Among the many men of the Northwest who have contributed to 
the present greatness of the country, no one has more deserved his success, and 
none can present a more honorable record, than John Wesley Perley. 

Mr. Perley is a member of the Masonic order. 



HON. MARTfN PATTISON, 

SUPERIOR. 

C CONSPICUOUS among the representative citizens of northern Wisconsin, and 
J one who is well and favorably known throughout the entire State is the Hon. 
Martin Pattison, of Superior, who was born in Niagara county, Canada, January 17, 
1841. His parents were natives of New York State and in his maternal ancestry is 
found one of the most illustrious names in American history, the author, statesman, 
and philosopher, Benjamin Franklin. 

In 1852 our subject removed with his parents to Michigan, where he attended 
school, and engaged in lumbering, at first in the humble position of laborer, and 
gradually worked his way to the grades of foreman and superintendent and finally 
engaged on a large scale for himself. In July, 1879, being attracted by the large 
tracts of pine in Douglas county, Wisconsin, he came to Superior and located land 
at what is now Manitou F"alls, just south of the city and purchased several thousand 
acres of pine land. During the winter of 1S79-80 he got out square timber for the 




'X^/{/fu>i t^<^ 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 335 

I^iiLrlish niarkrt and tlic following year engaged in logging operations on an exten- 
sive scale. It ina\- here be mentioned as a matter of record that Mr. Pattison was 
the first man to utilize Black river, a branch of the Nemadji, for log-driving 
l)urposes. 

In iSSj lie disposed of his logging interests antl turned his attention to the 
X'ermillion iron range, in Minnesota, on which he spent the following three 
years prospecting for iron, and in 1883 he located the famous Chandler and 
Pioneer group of mines. Mr. Pattison is to-day the largest individual holder of 
developed and recognized iron lands in his section, which brings him in a large 
income. 

In political belief he is a Republican. While in Michigan he was elected a 
member of the School Board before he had attained his twenty-second year and 
served by re-election as a member of that body for six successive years. He 
also served a term of two years in the Michigan Legislature. In 1884 he was 
electedSheriff of Douglas county and served for two years, and in 1890 was elected 
Mayor of the city of Superior and was re-elected to the same office in 1891. The 
Superior Leader, in an article written at the time of Mr. I'attison's retiring from 
office, says: 

" Mr. Pattison now goes out of office, leaving the city in the best shape it ever 
was financially. There is on hand not an unfinished contract, not an unsold bond, 
and not a dollar of floating debt. The sinking funds are full; there is about three 
quarters of a million in cash in the money-box; the fire department is well and fully 
equipped; and the credit of the city is first class. 

" Not only so, but Mr. Pattison has done more than any other man to wipe out 
the jealousy between the east and west ends and to harmonize the several sections 
of the city by treating all with fairness and equal consideration." 

Such words of praise from those who know him in his daily life are a compli- 
ment of which Mr. Pattison may be justly proud. Mr. Pattison is now a member 
of the Republican .State central committee, and a member of the executive commit- 
tee of that body. 

On the 17th day of May, 1879, Mr. Pattison was united in marriage at Mar- 
quette, Michigan, to Miss Grace E. Frink, a native of Canada, and a lady of many 
noble qualities of mind and heart. Their beautiful home, " F"airlawn," fronting on 
Superior bay, is the finest private residence on Lake Superior, and represents an 
outlay of nearly $125,000. Its interior, with its many treasures of art and costly fur- 
nishings, bears testimony to the culture and refinement of Mrs. Pattison, and as a 
home it will compare most favorably with those of the wealthy residents of our 
largest cities. 

Mr. and Mrs. Pattison have had eight children: Mattie Grace, Byron Martin, 
Ethel Mary, Alice Irene, Myrna Kmmarilla, V'yrna Margaret, Leda lone and Lois 
May, — the four last named being two pairs of twins. All are living except Vyrna 
Margaret. The family are members of the Episcopal Church, Mr. Pattison being 
Senior Warden. 

To everything calculated t<i advance the interests of the city of his home, Mr. 



33° BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Pattison is a liberal contributor and has given more money to church and charitable 
enterprises than any other resident of Superior. 

Socially he isa member of the Masonic, Knights of Pythias and Odd Fel- 
lows' orders, in the last of which he is Captain on the staff of the General of the 
Army. 



HON. LUTHER HANCHETT, 



THE late Luther Hanchett, an early settler at Plover, Portage county, a native 
of Ohio, was a son of Dr. Luther and Martha R. (Kent) Hanchett, and was 
born inMiddl ebury, October 25, 1825. He received an academic education at Frei- 
mont, and immediately after leaving school he began the study of law in that place, 
with his half-brother. General Ralph P. Buckland, afterward law partner of Presi- 
dent Hayes. He was admitted to the bar at Plover in 1850, and, devoting the 
remainder of his life to his chosen work, reflected the highest honors upon his 
profession. 

Mr. Hanchett was elected District Attorney of Portage county in 1852 and held 
that office two years. He was elected to the State Senate in 1856, and was re-elected 
in 1858. In i860 he was elected to Congress from the Second district, then compos- 
ing more than half of the territory of the State. Two years later, the State being 
redistricted, he was elected to Congress from the Sixth district, but did not long 
survive, dying at his home in Plover, November 24, 1862. On September 11, 1853, 
Mr. Hanchett was married to Miss Lucinda Alban, eldest daughter of Colonel James 
Alban, who was afterward commander of the Eighteenth Regiment, Wisconsin Vol- 
unteers, and was killed at the head of his regiment at the battle of Shiloh. They 
had two children, a son and a daughter, both of whom are still living. Mrs. Han- 
chett is now the wife of James O. Raymond, a prominent attorney now residing at 
Stevens Point. 

As an attorney, both in private practice and as a public officer, Mr. Hanchett 
was a man of capability and integrit}', fully conscious of the serious responsibilities 
devolving upon his position. 



HON. WILLIAM H.YOUNG, 



WILLIAM HENRY YOUNG, Mayor of Oconto, was born in the town of 
Woodville, Wilkinson county, Mississippi, August 11, 1845. His father, 
Uriah Young, was a native of New Rivers, Louisiana. His mother, Lucretia, nee 
Prewet, was born in Mississippi. His ancestors,, both lineal and collateral, were 





,-r r -r- : ^-'^(c:: 



/ 






RKrUKSKNlATUK MKN OK IIIK UNITKI) STATES; WISCONSIN VOI.UMK. 33Q 

Americans for sevcM-al prcnerations, and on both sides participated patriotically 
during the war of the Revolution in the cause of liberty. In 1S52 the parents of 
our subject moved from Mississippi to Greensburg, St. Helena parish, Louisiana, 
where the boy was reared to manhood, and where he attended the common schools. 
Ills father followed farming for an occupation, and also engaged in the manufac- 
ture of lumber in a small way, owning and ojierating a portal)Ic' mill. William 
assistediiis father in his labors on thr farm and in his mill. .At the age of four- 
teen he was forced to mourn the death of both of his jjarents. Having reached 
man's estate at eighteen, he entered the Union army as a private in the Fourth 
Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry. He was born and reared in the very heart of the 
South, but followed the teachings of his father, who was a strong Union man at 
heart, and tletermined with patriotic zeal to tender his services for the preserva- 
tion of his country. Enlisting at Baton Rouge, he followed the fortunes of his 
regiment during the campaign. He was mustered out of the scin i( <■ at Browns- 
ville, Texas, in May, 1866, having .served two 3'ears and scxcn months. The regi- 
ment was furnished transportation to Madison, Wisconsin, and upon his arrival at 
the capital of Wisconsin Mr. Young determined to go to Chicago to attend a com- 
mercial college. He had saved from his earnings as a soldier a sum sufficient to 
pay for seven months' tuition at Bryant & Stratton's commercial college in Chi- 
cago. Finishing this course, he visited Oconto, Wisconsin, where most of his army 
comrades resided. Arriving there in November, 1866, he obtained employment 
with the lumber firm of Holt & Balcom, at scaling logs in the woods, at a salary of 
thirty dollars per month. He continued in that line of einployment for some six 
or seven years during the winter months. During the summer of 1867 he was em- 
ployed by the same company as night watchman. The summer following he 
became timekeeper, and for nineteen years occupied that position. In 1887 the 
firm of Holt & Balcom was dissolved by the withdrawal of Mr. Balcom, and the 
1 lolt Lumber Company was organized to continue the business. Then Mr. Young 
was promoted to the position of superintendent of that company, and that position 
he has since occupied continuously. The Holt Lumber Company cuts about thirty 
millions of feet annually. The manufacture of this large amount of lumber is 
directly under the supervision of Mr. Young, and the success of the business is in 
no small degree due to his careful management. Mr. Young is also vice-president 
of the Oconto National Bank. He has always been progressive and public-spirited 
and in sympathy with all movements formed to increase the prosperity of the city. 
He was instrumental in organizing the .St. Paul & Eastern Grand Trunk Railroad 
Company, and served as secretary and treasurer of that corporation until it dis- 
l)ose<l of its property to the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company. 'i"he 
.St. Paul ik Eastern Grand Trunk Railroad Company built fifty-si.\ miles of railroad 
from Oconto to Clintonville, where it formed a junction with the Northwestern. 
The object of its incorporators was to construct a direct line from Oconto to St. 
Paul and Minneapolis. Politically Mr. Young has ever affiliated with the Republican 
party, and is a firm believer in the tenets of that political organization. He cast 
his first vote, for General (irant, in 1868, and since then has lent his aid to assist his 
l)arty in all of its r.impaigns. I-'arly in the seventies he was elected a member of 



340 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



the City Council, and was continuously re-elected until in iSSo, when he was elected 
Mayor of the city, afid he was re-elected in 1881. His mayoralty term ended twelve 
consecutive years as a member of the Council. In 1884 he was elected to the Wis- 
consin General Assembly from Oconto and Langlade counties. In the following 
session he was active in behalf of the present local option law, and materially aided 
in its adoption. In April, 1893, he was again elected to the mayoralty, and is at 
present the head of the municipal government. He has been active in political 
affairs of this section of the State in which he resides, and has served as delegate 
in several State conventions. In January, 1892, he was married to Ellen Elizabeth 
Russell, a native of New Brunswick. One child, a daughter, Arabella Lovina, has 
blessed this marriage. Mr. Young is a self-made man in the fullest sense of that 
often misused term. He began life as poor as the poorest of boys, but by steady 
application and honorable conduct has earned for himself a prominent position in 
the community. 



HON. DANIEL WEBSTER, 

I'RAIRIE UU ClIIEN. 

DANIEL WEBSTER was born September 4, 1S44, in McGrawville, Cortland 
county. New York. His parents were Mansell and Lucinda Webster, the 
former a tanner, currier and shoemaker by occupation. In 1851 our subject re- 
moved to Galena, Illinois, with his parents, and lived there the following six years. 
In 1857 he went to Lansing, Allamakee county, Iowa, and entered upon the study 
of law, and three years later he moved to Prairie du Chien and pursued his studies 
there. In May, 1864, he enlisted in Company C, 134th Illinois Volunteers, for one 
hundered days' service, and served the term of his enlistment. Upon returning 
home he resumed his law studies. He was admitted to practice in the Circuit 
Court of Crawford county in 1868, and to the District and Circuit Courts of Iowa in 
1871 ; to the Supreme Court of Wisconsin in 1884, and to the District and Circuit 
Courts of the United States in 1884. In 1876 he formed a partnership for the prac- 
tice of law with his brother, M. M. Webster, which continued till his brother's death 
in 1881. Since that time he has been alone in his practice. 

Politically Mr. Webster is a strong Democrat, and has been elected to various 
ofifices on his party's ticket. He served as Police Justice in 1880 and 1881, and was 
re-elected in 1883. He served two terms as Mayor of Prairie du Chien, during the 
years 1885 and 1886, and in i8go and 1891 was District Attorney. Mr. Webster is 
prominently identified with a number of secret fraternities, being a Past Grand 
Worthy Patron of the Order of the Eastern Star. He also has held an appointive 
office in the Masonic Grand Lodge, and is a member of the Knights Templar, 
also of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, Knights of Pythias, Ancient 
Order of United Workmen, the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Grand 
Army of the Republic. In the latter organization Mr. Webster has been Depart- 
ment Insi)ector of Wisconsin and a delegate from his State to the encamiiment, in 



RKI'kESENTATIVK MKN OK THE UNITEIJ STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 34I 

1876, at San I'rancisco. Mr. Webster was married April 13, 1871, to Miss Maggie 
Diinlap, daughter of William Dunlap, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Of four chil- 
dren that have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Webster, three are living: Gertrude, now 
Mrs. George C. Rienow, Maud, and Daniel, Jr. One daughter, Edith, died in in- 
fancy. 

Mr. Webster ranks, as a lawyer, among the ablest in southwestern Wisconsin. 



SiVMUEL M. HAY, 



JS^i )R nearly fifty years, he whose name heads this biography has been a resident 
- of Oshkosh, and during the greater portion of that time, he has been one of 
its foremost men, and has labored earnestly and consistently to add to the material 
prosperity of the city. He was born in Erie county, Pennsylvania, August 7, 1825, 
son of John Hay and Nancy, nee Laughlin. His father was a native of Maryland, 
to which State the great-grandfather of our subject, accompanied by his brothers, 
emigrated from Scotland and settled in Havre de Grace. The mother of Samuel 
was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and lived for some time during her 
childhood and maidenhood in Erie county of that State. When our subject was 
old enough to attend school, he was sent to the district schools of his native county 
during the winter months; and in summer he assisted his father in his labors on the 
farm. He also attended a select school for a short time. His father wished him 
to become a man of education, and desired to have him attend Alleghany College 
at Meadville. F"or this purpose, he purchased a scholarship for him. Being desir- 
ous, however, of learning a trade and having at that time but little taste for a higher 
academical education, he persuaded his parents to permit him to learn the tin, cop- 
per and sheet-iron worker's trade, an occupation which, to his youthful mind, was 
the most to be desired. At the age of fifteen, he was bound out to a tinsmith, and 
after four years and a half of apprenticeship, he had mastered his trade. In 1845, 
he came west to Wisconsin Territory, where, in the town of White Water, he had 
been offered work at his trade by S. C. Hall, a merchant, who formerly resided in 
our subject's native county in Pennsylvania. His salary there was one dollar a day 
and "found, " as board was called in those days. He remained with Mr. Hall some 
three years and attended to his duties in a satisfactory manner. 

Few of the residents of the great Northwest realize the strides in advancement 
that section has taken during the past half century. When Mr. Hay came to Wis- 
consin, in 1845, railroads were unknown and the trip was made by steamboat from 
Erie to Milwaukee. In 1846, he returned to his home to visit his parents, and in 
doing so crossed Lake Michigan, and from the landing staged across the country 
to Kalamazoo, where he reached the first railroad he had ever seen. This was a 
crude affair, using the old strap rail. Over this road he journeyed to Detroit, and 
thence by boat to Erie. After a brief time spent at home, he returned to White Water 
and resumed his duties. His work did not occupy his entire time, and having an 



^42 IllOC.K.M'lllCAI. DICIIONARY AND rORTRAIT CAl.l.KKY OK IIIK 



opportunity to accompany an arciuaint.uicc, wlio was a creditor of the Indian trader 
whose trading jjost was where ()shi<osh now stands, he accepted the opportunity for 
an outini^ and made the trip. He thus came here for the first time in 1846. He 
was delighted with the appearance of the country surrounding the spot, which, be- 
sides being picturesque, offered great natural advantages for future prosperity, 
Oshkosh at that time was a collection of a few huts. They stopped at the leading 
"hotel" of the town and at night were entertained by the music of the violin of a 
Frenchman, who, with its tones subdued the savage breast of the red man of the 
forest who had not then been driven westward by the star of empire. The natural 
beauty of the location, the romantic appearance of the inhabitants, and the beauti- 
ful river, dotted here and there with Indian canoes, pleased the young man, and 
believing that the surroundings were such as to be conducive to a prosperous city, 
he determined then, when he had accumulated sufficient capital, that he would 
locate and enter into business there. He returned to White Water and continued to 
work, at the same time teaching his trade to Eli C. 1 lall, a Ijrothcr of his employer. 
During his residence in White Water, Mr. Hay was also enabled to visit western 
Wisconsin, and was very much interested in the lead-mining district, then very pros- 
perous. At that time, all journeys in the West were made by team, and a trip to 
the western part of the State was quite an eventful and lengthy undertaking. 

In 1848, Mr. Hay located in Oshkosh and since then has made that city his 
home. He established himself in business in a small way under the style of Hay & 
Hall, as a dealer in tinware and stoves, and also handled a small quantity of hard- 
ware. He had for a partner his former employer's brother, Eli C. Hall, whom he 
had previously taught his trade. The settlement then contained about 100 
inhabitants, composed largely of F'rench and half-breed Indians. The business was 
necessarily small at the outset, but nevertheless was conducted successfully. Mr. 
Hall became dissatisfied with Oshkosh, and after remaining together for thirty 
months, Mr. Hay purchased Mr. Hall's interest. In June, 1851, Mr. Orson J. Clark, 
then a young man, who was an employe of Mr. Hay's, was admitted to partnership, 
and under the name of Hay & Clark the business was continued until 1862, when, 
owing to ill health, Mr. Clark retired, his interest liring purchased by Mr. Hay. 
About a year later, W. H. Hay, a younger brother of our subject, was admitted to 
partnership, and from that time until January, 1892, when the Hay Hardware Com- 
pany was organized, the business was conducted under the name of S. M. Hay & 
Brother. The of^cers of the Hay Hardware Company are: S. M. Hay, president; 
W. H. Hay, treasurer; and S. H. Gulliford, secretary. The business has always 
been successful, and has been conducted on sound business principles. Confidence 
in the integrity of Mr. Hay was early displayed by the pioneer settlers of Oshkosh, 
and he has held their confidence and esteem through all these years. So well have 
his customers been treated that those of his first customers who have continued to 
reside in the neighborhood still purchase their goods of this firm; and in many in- 
stances, where death has taken the head of a family who was a customer and friend 
of Mr. Hay, the survivors feel in duty bound to transact business with him. However, 
our subject has not devoted the most of his time or attention to the hardware business 
for the past thirty years. In 1864, he became a stockholder and director of the First- 




^.^.A 




REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 345 

National Bank of Oshkosh, and a year later was elected president of that institu- 
tion. In 1884, the charter of the bank expired, and it was then reorganized under 
the name of The National Bank of Oshkosh, and of this bank Mr. Hay continues 
to act as president. The bank is capitalized for $200,000, has a surplus of $100,000 
and undivided profits of $60,000, with deposits of $1,250,000. For thirty years, he 
has stood at the head of this, one of the most successful of the financial institutions 
of the State of Wisconsin, and during all this time, notwithstanding the tempestuous 
blasts of panics and of financial distress, the credit of the bank has been above ques- 
tion, and the business judgment of its president has been commended and his record 
as a safe and far-seeing financier has done much to place the institution on a founda- 
tion of rock, which no financial whirlwind can dislocate. In 1893 ^^i"- Hay was 
elected vice-president for Wisconsin of the National Bankers' Association, and in 
1894 was chosen as president of the Wisconsin Bankers' Association. 

Mr. Hay has many business connections in addition to those enumerated above. 
Since 1 88 1, he has been interested in raising cattle on a Texas ranch, and at the 
present time has a herd of some 5,000 head of cattle on the range. He is a stock- 
holder and director of the Manufacturers' National Bank of Neenah, and a stock- 
holder of the Commercial Bank of Appleton, as well as of the Kellogg National 
Bank of Green Bay. He is also financially interested in the Fond du Lac National 
Bank of Fond du Lac, and likewise of the Royal Trust Company of Chicago, as 
well as of the Wisconsin National Bank of Milwaukee. 

Politically, Mr. Hay has always been a zealous advocate of Republican prin- 
ciples. In his younger days, before his business interests became so large as to re- 
quire his entire attention, his fellow-citizens honored him with political preference. 
In 1856, he was chosen Alderman, to represent the First ward, and in 1858 was 
elected Mayor of Oshkosh, to which office he was re-elected in 1859. In 1857 he 
was elected to the General Assembly and took his seat in the Lower House in 1858. 
In 1862 he was elected to the State Senate. In politics, as in all else, he was suc- 
cessful, and if he had taken an interest in a political career, and had desired to be- 
come prominent in affairs of State, he would undoubtedly have risen to a high posi- 
tion at the hands of the people; but, being drawn more to mercantile and financial 
pursuits than toward politics, and feeling that he could best serve his interests by 
discontinuing one or the other, he decided to live the life of a private citizen, since 
which time he has never gone before the people for an elective office. He has taken 
an active interest in educational matters, and as school commissioner has done his 
share of good for the public schools. In 1876 he was appointed by the Governor, 
one of the Regents of the State Normal School, and served as a member of that 
l)ody for fifteen years. In 1892 he was appointed by President Harrison a meml^er 
of a commission to examine the mints of the United States at Phihulelphia. 

Mr. Hay is an attendant of the First Congregational Church of Oshkosh, and 
has been liberal in his contributions toward all of the various religious societies, 
irresyjective of their denomination. He has traveled quite extensively throughout 
ICurope, Mexico and the United States, and he has been an attentive observer of 
men and things, and his mind has been broadened by the study of humanity. 

In 1852 he was married to Miss Maria E. Spaulding, of Oshkosh. Death robbed 



346 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

him of his wife in 1875. She was survived by three children, two sons and a 
daughter. 

Mr. Hay is domestic in his tastes and habits. He is passionately fond of chil- 
dren, and has the happy faculty of making them fond of him. He is a self-made 
man in the fullest sense of that often misused term. He has, through his ability, 
steadfastness of purpose, industry and integrity, attained the position he now oc- 
cupies. His entire career has been illustrated by steady prosperity: speculation was 
always avoided and conservatism pursued. Such men as he have built up the great 
West. To the enterprising efforts of her inhabitants is the prosperity of a common- 
wealth due, and to the successful merchant and conservative banker, rather than 
to the statesman, should the honor for creating a glorious empire in the West be 
accorded. Mr. Hay has resided for nearly fifty years in the State of Wisconsin; for 
forty-five years he has called Oshkosh his home, and during that entire time no 
word of reproach could ever truthfully be uttered against him. Besides possessing 
ample means, which he has accumulated by honest business principles, he owns 
that which is more valuable than gold, — a spotless name and a reputation without 
a blot. 



ROBERT McMILLEN, 

OSHKOSH. 

ROBERT McMILLEN was born in Warren county, near Lake George, New 
York, September 26, 1830. He is a son of Daniel and Mary (Armstrong) 
McMillen. His paternal grandfather was of Scotch origin. He located his Ameri- 
can home among the mountains surrounding Lake George, and there became a 
tiller of the soil. The father of Mary Armstrong McMillen was a hatter of New 
York City. He desired to pass his declining j^ears in the peace and quiet of pas- 
toral pursuits, and moved to Warren county, New York, where he also engaged in 
farming; but owing partially to lack of knowledge and also to the sterility of the 
soil, he failed to profit much through his labors. 

The boyhood days of Robert were passed in his native county. He breathed 
the pure mountain air, and enjoyed rugged health. As soon as he was old enough 
he was put to work assisting his father, who was a farmer and lumberman. During 
the winters he was enabled at times to obtain knowledge by attending the district 
school. His father w^ould leave home in the winters, and the management of the 
farm and the care of the live stock then devolved exclusively upon him, even while 
he was still a mere lad. 

When he had attained the age of twenty-three, Mr. McMillen married Miss 
Alice Johnson, of Warren county. New York. Being young, energetic and ambi- 
tious, he tired of the monotony of life on the farm and determined to seek a more 
profitable field for his labors. In 1854 he came West and located at Oshkosh, Wis- 
consin. His entire financial capital at that time consisted of about $250. He ob- 
tained employment as carpenter and joiner, and for three years worked at that 
trade, saving a little money and becoming the possessor of a modest home. 




.#^^:;;^:;^^^?5^/^ 



;<E1>RESENTAT1VE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 34Q 

'l"lu' rin;uu-i;il paiiir of 1S57 ^<' depressetl the industries of the \V(>st tliat Mr. 
McMillen considered it wise to leave Oshkosh. He returned to Warren count)-, 
New York, and visited his relatives. In i8s8 he again. came West and became an 
employe, at Muskejrun, Michigan, of the Newago Lumber Company. He there 
had charge of the shipping of lumber, loading vessels for Chicago, and in for- 
warding supplies to the lumbering camps of the company, h'or this labor he re- 
ceived the princely salary of $750 per annum. Owing to the unhealthy conditions 
of his surroundings, his work being done in a marshy section, he took sick and was 
forced to resign and leave the locality. 

In 1859 he returned to Oshkosh, and in association with his brother-in-law, C. 
W". 1 )avis, purchased D. L. Jones' interest in the planing mill and sash and door fac- 
tory of Morgan & Jones. At that time there were no railroads into Oshkosh, and 
as the demand was limited to local needs, the business was necessarily small. Mc- 
Millen & Davis sold out their interest in the business about a year and a half after 
they purchased it, and in the fall of i860 they built a shingle mill. The breaking 
out of the war caused a feeling of apprehension among manufacturers, and a fear 
lor the future caused many to suspend operations. They at first considered it ad- 
visable to quit, but with push and persistency they both remained at the helm, and 
Iiy doing so they were enabled soon thereafter to enter upon a season of prosperity. 
The first year McMillen & Davis cleared a profit of $9,000. Half of this amount be- 
longed to Mr. McMillen, and doubtless no money he has since earned gave him the 
gratification nor made him feel as rich as this amount did. 

About 1865, John McMillen, brother of our subject, traded for a half interest in 
the foundry of Morse & Beckwith, who were largely engaged in the manufacture of 
threshing machines. The plant was enlarged and Messrs. McMillen and Davis be- 
came actively interested therein. They traded their interest in the shingle mill to 
John McMillen for an interest in the foundry. This business was not satisfactory 
to Mr. McMillen, and he soon made arrangements to get out of it. He traded with 
Battis, Hasbrouck & Company, and became the owner of the lumbering and saw- 
mill plant previously owned by that firm, and in 1867 began to operate the plant, 
which was located on the land which he now occupies with his business. Later, his 
lirother became his associate, and this partnership was continued until his brother's 
death, in 1872. Under the careful supervision of Mr. McMillen the business was 
successful from the outset, and grew in proportions, until to-day he is at the head 
of one of the largest plants of its kind in the West. After his brother's death, Mr. 
McMillen admitted D. Dickinson, his bookkeeper, into partnership. Six year later 
he purchased his interest and sold a quarter interest in his business to his former 
partner, his brother-in-law, C. W. Davis. Later, for a short time, S. W. Hollister 
Ijecame possessed of a quarter interest in the business. After he retired, the enter- 
l)rise was continued until 1889 under the control of Mr. McMillen and Mr. Davis. 
In 1889 Mr. Davis sold out, and since then the business has been continued by Mr. 
.McMillen. . The business is large. The plant includes saw mills in which about 
15,000.000 feet of logs are annually sawed into lumber, lath, shingles, etc.; also a 
factory in which most of this lumber is manufactured into doors, windows, blinds 
and all kinds of interior house finishings, which are shipped all over the United 
States — east, west, north and south. 



350 IJlOGRArilllAl. im riONARV AN'D I'tlklKAir camkrv oi- iiik 



Mr. McMillen is president of the Fox River Paper Company, of Appleton, and 
a director of the National Bank of Oshkosh. He has always been closely identi- 
fied with the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he has been an active member 
for some twenty-five years. He attended the General Conference at Omaha, in 
1892, as a lay delegate from the Oshkosh district, and also represented the district 
at the General Conference held in Cincinnati several years ago. He was also at 
one time prominently identified with the Y. M. C. A. work in Wisconsin. His con- 
nection with the church is prominent, as seen with his relation to the Algoma Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church of Oshkosh, which beautiful stone structure is largely due 
to his money and management. He is a Trustee of the church, a member of the 
building committee, and beside contributing a very large sum to the building fund 
of the church, he has since donated various sums to its needs. 

Mr. McMillen was married in 1853 to Miss Alice A. Johnson. His family con- 
sists of himself, wife and two adopted children: Jessie A. and Robert, Jr. Politi- 
cally, Mr. McMillen has always affiliated with the Republican party, but is in no 
sense a politician, never desiring political preferment. He has always taken a deep 
interest in educational matters, being a firm friend of the Lawrence University, of 
A])pleton, being president of its board of trustees. 

Such is the biography of one of the representative men of the State of Wiscon- 
sin, who has through his inherent ability, steadfastness of purpose, industry and in- 
tegrity reached the position he now holds. His has not heen a selfish life; he has 
always taken the dee])est delight in cheering the deserving, and the consciousness of 
having aided worthy human beings and meritorious enterprises has been worth 
more than gold to him. He is ever willing to bestow benefits where they are 
needed. He has, through his financial means and through personal efforts, been a 
tower of strength to the church ; and, taking his entire career, it can be truthfully 
said that the " world has been benefitted because he lived." 



ORVILLE BEACH, 

OSHKOSH. 

OTANDING prominent among the representive men of Oshkosh is Orville 
O Beach. He was born in New York State, July 31, 1826, and is the son of John 
H. and Abigail (Phillips') Beach, both native Americans of sturdy, progressive dis- 
position. His father was a farmer by occupation, in addition to which he some- 
times worked as a merhanir. i)rincipally as a mason. The subject of this sketch 
was reared on his father's farm, where he received not only a physical training, but 
also a moral education, which has been of inestimable benefit to him in fashioning 
a successful career. He attended the common schools of his neighborhood, and 
when sixteen years of age began to assist his father as a stone mason, being at 
other times employed on his own account as a machinist. He was thus engaged 
for four years, when he entered the lumbering business on the Hudson river, at 
Glens Falls and Sandy Hill, with James O. French. They cut and handled consid- 




(^^'/^ii/^ ^^^ 



KKI'RKSKN'rAriVK MKN (Jl- llll-: UNITED SIA'JKS; WISCfJNSIN VCJl.U.MK. 353 



cialjK- lumljcr, not operatinj^ a mill, Inii liavin;^ all their luiuber cut by contract. 
I 'nder the firm name of Finch & Beach, he attained considerable j)rominence as 
a shii)[)er of kimber, and was successful. 

The adventuresome spirit of the lime made itself fell in Mr. Beach, who con- 
cluded to seek his fortune in the West, where the ojiix^rtunities for advancement 
were so much j^reater than in the East. Accordinj^ly, in 1855, after having wound 
up his business in New York State, he started westward, seekinj^ the pineries of the 
Northwest, for the purpose of enfrajrinfr jn lumberinj^, in which direction his 
tastes ran. He first stopped in Chicaj^o and later in Milwaukee, but neither real- 
ized his ideal. He proceeded farther West and finally came to I'ond du Lac, but 
soon afterward settled in Oshkosh, where he has ever since resided. C)n arri\in^ 
in the latter place he immediately commenced to look up and enter pine timber 
lands on the Wolf river, lie also erected a grain elevator, which was the second 
one built in Oshkosh, and engaged in buying and selling grain. These business 
enterprises were carried on by Mr. Beach alone and were financially successful. 
Mis business increased and was carried on until 1861, when Mr. Beach associated 
himself with his brother-in-law, Mr. E. N. Conlee, under the firm name of fieach 
iS: Conlee. The grain business was discontinued and the elevator was converted 
into a sash, door and blind factory, which they conducted in connection with 
their mill business. The active lumbering business of Beach & Conlee did not 
begin until 1864, and, in 1867, Mr. G. W. Conlee was added to the firm, without 
any change, however, in the name. The business of the company became one 
of the most important in the city, and was conducted with continuous success 
until 1877, when their mill was swept away by fire. They immediately bought 
a new mill and continued the business uninterruptedly, as if nothing had occurred. 
When the sash, door and blind factory was added to the interest of the firm, its 
name was changed to that of Beach, Conlee & Brother, which continued until 1879, 
when Mr. Beach retired from the business. 

-Soon after his retirement, Mr. Beach formed a connection with his brother, Mr. 
Darwin Beach and a brother-in-law, W. P. Warwick, under the firm name of O. 
Beach & Brothers, who built a mill and entered into active business. Every enter- 
prise with which Mr. Beach has been connected has been uniformly successful. 
Every worthy object which was presented for Mr. Beach's consideration received 
his hearty co-operation and financial aid. The firm of Beach & Brothers bought 
a mill in 1879 and confined itself to the manufacture of lumber. Their output 
reached as high as 10,000,000 feet of lumber per annum and their yard would 
store more than a year's output. Their business continued with uninterrupted 
prosperity, when, in 1885, Mr. Beach attempted to retire from active business, but 
his industrious habits overcame this desire, as we find him soon after connected 
with Mr. D. L. Libbey, of Oshkosh, in a mill which they built on the Milwaukee & 
Lake Shore Railroad, and which they successfully conducted three years and then 
closed out. 

The financial operations fjf Mr. lieach have not been limited to the lumber busi- 
ness. He was one of the originators of the Oshkosh & Mississippi Railroad, which 
was built from Oshkosh to Ripon. He served as one of its directors and was its 



354 IIIOCKAI'IIICAI. Dir ll()NAK\' AND I'ORTRAl I CAI I.KKV OK I'lll': 

could not be of the best if he remained in Germany, and, being anxious to have his 
offspring enjoy the advantages offered by the great land of liberty, he in 1848 brought 
his family to the United States. They took passageon the brig Adele, of I^hiladelphia, 
at liremen, and, after a voyage of thirteen weeks, arrived at thecity of brotherly love. 
Ihcir voyage westward was made via the lakes, on the steamer Globe, arriving in 
Milwaukee in the fall of 1848. They located in Cedarsburg, Ozaukee county, and 
John Schuette, Sr., at once began the erection of a store and in the spring of 1849 
had it ready for occupancy. The country surrounding the place he had located 
was swampy and the early spring brought with it the usual cases of fever and ague. 
Upon learning that this disease was an annual visitor to the locality owing to the 
conditions of the soil, John Schuette, Sr., determined to move away. He went 
along the lake shore to Port Washington, Port Ulva, Sheboygan, Centerville and 
Manitowoc and determined to locate in the latter place, which was then a small 
village. He returned to Ozaukee county for his family, and with them arrived here 
in May, 1849, on the deck of the j^ropeller Rossiter. He rented the building he had 
built in Cedarsburg and erected another in Manitowoc. He then began selling 
general merchandise. The subject of this sketch was at that time twelve years old, 
and during the succeeding four years he attended the common school, and during 
his leisure hours assisted his father in his business. In 1856 his father admitted him 
and his brother, Henry Schuette, into partnership, the firm being then known as J. 
Schuette & Sons. Some years later John Schuette, Sr., retired and the business 
was continued as Schuette & Brother. In 1867 Frederick and August Schuette, 
younger brothers, were admitted to partnership, and Henry Schuette retired. 
The firm then became known as Schuette Brothers. In 1867 Mr. Schuette formed a 
partnership with August Wahlc and established the Oriental flour mills. This part- 
nership was dissolved in 1871 and since then Mr. Schuette has conducted the busi- 
ness himself. The mills have a capacity of 200 barrels a day. In 1867 he also 
took a contract for dredging and building the Manitowoc harbor. This contract 
involved a large amount of money and covered several years' labor. 

In 1872 he built the Land Plaster works. This enterprise has been very suc- 
cessful and its product is shipped all over Wisconsin. In 1884 he sold out his 
mercantile interest to his brothers, Fred, August and George, and established the 
Manitowoc Savings Hank, of which he has since been the controlling spirit. The 
bank is capitalized for $50,000 and has a surplus of $35,000, and its deposits are over 
$400,000. Its officers are John Schuette, president and his eldest son, Louis Schuette, 
cashier. In 1889 he put in an electric-light plant, built on the most ajiproved plans. 
He is i)rcsi<lcn1 of the Electric Light Company, which is cai)italized for $40,000, 
and his scrond son, I'.dwin, is secrrtar\'. 

Politically Mr. Schu(Mt(' is a lirni and /calous Republican, a hrm ])clic\er in 
Republican principles and a strong advocate of its doctrines. In 1856 he was ap- 
pointed a memlx-r of the Board of Harbor Commissioners by the State Legislature. 
In iS()7 he was elected to a seat in the Common Council and was again elected in 
1S74. In the latter year he was elected to the State Senate and served one term. 
He has been elected Mayor of Manitowoc four different times. He has traveled 
quite extensively over the United States, having visited all sections excepting the 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 355 

treasurer. Mr. Beach is a stockholder in the German National Hank, the Ger- 
man-American Bank and the South-Side I'L.xchan^e Bank, all of Oshkosh, Wis- 
consin, and of the Wisconsin National Bank, of Milwaukee, and is a holder of 
valuable city property. His eneri^y and proi^ressiveness have aided materially in 
the building up of the city. 

Mr. Beach is a strong Republican politically, and has at all times taken a great 
interest in the various campaigns of his party, which he has aided to the best of his 
ability. He is in no wise a politician, but has served several terms as a member of 
the County Board of Supervisors and in the City Council. 

January ig, 1859, he was married to Miss Helen A. Thompson, of Saratoga 
county. New York, a woman of charming personality. She is an active member of 
the Trinity Episcopal Church of Oshkosh, of which Mr. Beach is a regular attendant. 
Ihe early training of Mr. Beach has led him into great reverence for the church of 
(iod, and to him are credited many contributions, but, with characteristic mod- 
esty, he does not countenance any publicity in these matters, which he considers of 
an entirely private nature. Mr. Beach has always been domestic in his tastes, tak- 
ing greater delight in his home circle than in club life or societj' in general. He and 
his wife have a great liking for instructive travel, and have visited most parts of 
the United States, Cuba, Mexico and the Pacific coast, including Alaska. 

The reasons for the success of Mr. Beach are easily traceable. It is due to his 
fairness, honesty and integrity. 

He is not a strong partisan, as such men seldom are, but his patriotism and de- 
sire for good and honest government prompt him to vote for the best men who may 
be in nomination. Such a life is a model for the young man, who is sometimes 
tempted, amidst the only too great degrees of loose commercial morality, to think 
that success depends upon methods unapproved by conscience and public opinion. 
Mr. Beach has achieved success and maintained his honor unspotted. He is well 
known in Oskosh for his unswerving honesty and integrity. His career has been a 
credit to himself in every respect, and creditable to the city in which he has so long 
lived and is so wt^ll known. 



JOHN SCHUETTE, 

MANIIOWOC. 

I OHN SCHUETTE was born in the town of Delmenhorst, Duchy of Oldenberg, 
'I (iermany, September 25, 1837. His father, John Schuette, .Sr., in early life fol- 
lowed the vocation of a seaman, till the year 181 7, when he was employed as book- 
keeper for a Baltimore (Maryland) sugar refinery. Later, he located at Norfolk, 
X'irginia, carrying on a grocery store, and having a coasting schooner in connection 
with it. Selling out his interest there, he moved to Charleston, South Carolinia, 
again going into the grocery business and continuing in the same until 1830, when 
he returned toGermany. He there reared a family of seven children, of which lohn 
was third. He perceived that the opportunities for ad\ ancemeiit for his ( hildreii 



356 UIOGRAl'inCAI, dictionary and rORTKAIT GALLERY OK THE 



extreme West. He was niarriecl in i(S67 to Miss Rosa Stauss, of Manitowoc. Five 
children have blessed this union. Louis and Edwin, the two sons, have been here- 
tofore mentioned, and the three daughters are Gesine, Lillie and Rosa. 

Mr. Schuette is still in the prime of vigorous manhood. llis entire life lias 
been one move onward and upward. He has advanced steadily, step by step, and 
has earned for himself an honorable reputation and a substantial competence. Dur- 
ing his whole career, whether occupied in private business or filling positions of 
public trust, he has so conducted himself as to command the confidence, esteem 
and respect of the entire community. 



JOHN WEEK, 

STEVENS POINT. 

''I^HE inevitable law of destiny accords to tireless energy and industry a 
-1- successful career. The truth of this assertion was abundantly verified in the 
life of John Week. Every step in his career was an honorable tribute to industry, 
humanity and true manhood. He was not a follower of beaten paths, — his courage, 
his intelligence, his ambition, all had the genuine ring, and he earned his fortune 
out of nature's bounteous gifts. His life was devoted to the best efforts of human 
endeavor. He was born in Hardenger Parish, Norway, December 6, i8i8. He 
was the youngest of five sons, but had one sister younger than he. In 1839, ac- 
companied by his brother Andrew, he sailed for America, and landed at Fall River, 
Massachusetts, July 10 of that year. About a month later they reached Chicago, 
having traveled the entire distance by stage and canal boat and sailing vessel, 
there being no railroads then in the West and but few in the East. 1 \c remained 
a resident of Chicago for little more than a year, sailing on the lakes most of the 
time. He then moved to the lead-mining region of southern Wisconsin and soon 
after engaged in the boot and shoe making business, at Wiota and later at Dodge- 
ville. This business he carried on for a number of years. Shortly after his arrival 
at Wiota, he formed the acquaintance of Colonel W. T. Hamilton, son of the 
illustrious statesman. Colonel Hamilton took great interest in him and tauglrt 
him to speak and read the English language. He also endeavored to instill into 
him the principles of the Whig party, but he was unsuccessful in this, as Mr. Week 
became a stanch Democrat, the principles of which party he afterwards espoused. 
It appears that at that time the Whigs were in the ascendency in the district, for, 
in the fall of 1842, Colonel Hamilton was elected a Representative to the fourth 
Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Wisconsin, and it is related that Mr. 
Week had the pleasure of presenting his friend and political opponent an overcoat 
to wear when he went to Madison to take his scat. In 1851 Mr. Week purchased 
his brother Andrew's sawmill on the Big Eau I'laiuc ri\er, in Marathon county, and 
then embarked in the Uimlicr business, starting in a small way a business that grew 
to large proportions. I o reach his new home he embarked, with his family, in an 




/ 







REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 359 



Imiiaii canoL', from l)u Bay's trading post on the Wisconsin river. There were no 
roads through the unbroken forests at that time, but in later years, through his 
efforts, an excellent turnpike was built for a distance of eight miles, to a point 
known as Dancy. He operated the mill in Marathon county for thirty-two years, 
rafting the lumber down the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers. In 1881 the mill 
was destroyed by fire, and he moved his business and home to Stevens Point. 
While a resident of Marathon county he was for several years one of three Com- 
missioners who managed the affairs of the county, and was afterward a member of 
the Count}' Board of Supervisors, until he removed to Stevens Point. He was 
several times solicited to accept the nomination for member of the Assembly, which 
was equivalent to an election, but declined the honor. He was Treasurer of his 
school district, from the time it was organized, and took great pride in maintain- 
ing a good school. He was also one of the organizers of the Wisconsin River Im- 
provement Company, of which he was for many years a director. In 1884 his 
business was incorporated under the name of the John Week Lumber Company, 
and the management placed in the hands of three sons, — Nelson, Andrew and 
Edmund. During the late years of his life he was afflicted with paralysis ag'ilans, 
commonly known as shaking palsy During the last five years of his life he discon- 
tinued all active work. 

He was married February 29, 1848, to Miss Gunild Luras. Ten children re- 
sulted from the marriage. Two died in infancy, and Eva C, a charming young 
lady, passed away in 1889. 

Mr. Week died June 4, 1891. He was survived by his wife and seven children. 
In speaking of his character, a life-long friend states: "John Week was of a 
sympathetic and charitable nature, and believed in man's duty to man. He was a 
practical Christian, having no sympathj' for creeds, teachings or dogmas." 



OSULD TORRISON, 

MANITOWOC. 

A MOXCj the prominent men of Wisconsin who, through deeds characterized by 
-iTA^ integrity and usefulness, have left their imprint upon the community where 
they lived, the name of Osuld Torrison is deserving of a position of prominence. 

His life and character present alike the successful merchant, popular and faith- 
ful citizen and_ courteous gentleman. To these might be added the genial compan- 
ion, true friend and loving husljand and father. This sketch of his life, though 
barren of many facts which would enhance its value, is nevertheless interesting, as 
it illustrates the possibilities open to a young man of integrity and business ability 
in this great republic of ours. 

Osuld Torrison was born in lieirefos, Norway, March 6, 1828. He was his par- 
ents' first born and was given the name of Osuld, which in the Norwegian language 
means "the strong, the mighty." His entire life proved most forcibly that he was 
well worthy of his name i lis early days were passed on liis father's farm, situated 



360 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



in ihc inounlaiiKnis districls through which a vva<^on road had never been cut. Com- 
munication with the neighboring towns was obtained by traveHng on horseback or 
on foot over a narrow path. Me was reared to hard work and early in life labored 
diligently to assist his father in tilling the soil. His opportunities for obtaining an 
education were meager. When our subject was sixteen years of age his father died 
and a great amount of responsibility was placed upon him as he thus became the 
mainstay of his mother and her children. The small farm upon which they had 
lived was sold to pay indebtedness. 

In i(S48, having reached his twentieth year, he sailed on the ship "Kristiansand" 
for America, hoping to be able in the new country to earn for himself a position of 
independence that would enable him to furnish his mother and her children with a 
comfortable home. He settled at Port Washington, Wisconsin, where he remained 
one year, at first working as a farm hand. His inclination and desire led him to 
enter the mercantile business, and he obtained a position as clerk in a store. Dur- 
ing a portion of that year he attended school, paying for his tuition from money he 
had earned. The following year he moved to Manitowoc Rapids, then the county 
seat of Manitowoc county, and obtained a clerkship in the general store of Baker & 
Beardsley. Two years later his employers moved their business to the city of Man- 
itowoc, which was at that time in its infancy, and he continued as an employe of the 
establishment. The following year E, R. and S. W. Smith purchased the business, 
and Mr. Torrison continued to act in the same capacity for them for one year. He 
was now twenty-five years of age, ambitious and full of energy. He had little 
financial means but was rich in confidence and integrity. Having an opportunity 
to purchase the establishment in which he was an employe, he determined to ven- 
ture into business on his own account. In association with H. M. Nordvi, he, in 
1853, purchased the interest of his employers and established the firm of (). Torri- 
son & Company. Credit was given to the young men for a large amount of the 
purchase price, but such a great amount of confidence was placed in the Integrity 
of Mr. Torrison that, notwithstanding his limited means, his trade was eagerly 
sought for by wholesale merchants in the East. In 1858 he purchased his partner's 
interest and continued to transact a large and growing business which soon became 
the largest of its kind in this section of the State. In the fall of 1862 he erected a 
large business l^lock, but even these increased facilities soon became too limited, 
and in 1882 he i)ut up a large brick block, where the business is still being cohducted^- 
under the management of his eldest son, Thomas E. Theston^ Is a model of beauty 
and Is worthy of a place In any city. 

Mr. Torrison did not confine his operations to the mercantile business, but also 
engaged In real estate, lumber and other branches. He was at one time largely 
Interested In shipping and many vessels owned by him traversed the waters of the 
Great Lakes. He also built large warehouses and bought and sold large quantities 
of grain and hay, which he shipped from this port. He owned several sawmills, and 
weekly loaded large quantities of lumber and shingles on vessels bound for Chicago. 
In fact, he was a thorough man of business and was willing to spend his time, en- 
list his energy and Invest his capital In any branch of business that would insure 
satisfactory returns. His earnest, active life was (;ntlrc;ly void of sensational and 




S /^^ 



V 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 36 1 

dramatic periods. He was ever keenly alive to the responsibilities of true manhood; 
he never shirked a duty to which his high sense of honor pointed. 

When Mr. Torrison left Norway his' mother, sisters and brothers remained be- 
hind, but as soon as he had saved a little money he gladly sacrificed a large portion 
of his savings to bring them to this country that they might also enjoy the oppor- 
tunities this republic offers. His venerable mother is still living at Manitowoc, aged 
eighty-nine years. 

Mr. Torrison was married at Manitowoc, December 26, 1856, to Miss Martha 
Hansen Findal, a native of Norway, born at Bamble, near Langesund. Ten chil- 
dren were born to them, as follows: Thomas E., who has charge of the business left 
by his father; Inanda A., wife of Rev. A. Bredeson, of Stoughton, Dane county, 
Wisconsin; Isaac B., pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church on North avenue, Chi- 
cago; Oscar M., an attorney at law of Chicago; George A., a medical student at 
\ ienna, Austria; Gustav H., Norman G. and Aaron J., occupied in the business of 
O. Torrison at Manitowoc; William L., a student at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa; 
and Agnes M., at home. 

Mr. Torrison died November 3, 1892. His death was mourned by the commu- 
nity as a personal loss, for all classes admired him as a citizen and respected him as 
a man. But in his own home, where his happiest and most contented hours were 
passed, his death caused an irreparable loss and left a sadness and gloom which 
will never be overcome. One of his greatest desires was to rear his children so 
that they in years to come would occupy honorable and useful positions in life. 
From childhood he was an active member of the Lutheran Church. He ever en- 
deavored to lead a worthy Christian life, and materially aided the cause of true 
religion by making liberal donations to educational and charitable institutions. He 
held daily devotional services with his family and reared his children to lives of 
righteousness and in the fear of God. 



EPHRAIM BOWEN, 

BRODHEAD. 

EPI IRAIM BOWEN, a native of Evans, Erie county, New York, was born on 
the 14th day of January, 1824, and was the son of Pardon and Maria Bowen 
His father, who was of Rhode Island stock, cleared a farm on the " Holland 
Purchase," in western New York, and there reared a large family, giving 
them such educational advantages as could be afforded by the common schools. 
When eight years of age Ephraim was bereft of his mother, and, at the age of fif- 
teen, of his father, and being thus early thrown upon his own resources he devel- 
oped that spirit of self-reliance, independence and determination that has marked 
his entire career. After conducting the farm for one year after his father's death, 
he engaged to work as a farm hand for three years, at $10 per month. At the ex- 
i'iration of this time he sjient one year as a dealer in patent rights, at $18 per 
muulh. He had lung cherisiied a desire for mercantile life; and at the age of 



^62 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



twenty-one years, with a capital of $300, representing his hard-earned savings, he 
moved to Wisconsin and settled at Exeter, Green county, and there accepted a 
clerkship in a store, at $15 per month. Later he became a partner in the business, 
and after six years of successful trade found himself in possession of $3,000. With 
this, which was then a large sum, he moved to Albany, Wisconsin, and in 1853 
erected a building and established himself in the mercantile and produce business 
and also engaged in real-estate operations. There he conducted his business with 
uniform good success till 1867, at which time he moved to Green Bay and there pur- 
chased 2,000 acres of pine land in connection with a mill, and, with that energy that 
had characterized his mercantile career, condvicted a successful lumber trade for a 
number of years, and added largely to his already ample fortune. 

Returning to Green county he established the First National Bank of Brod- 
head, of which he became president and principal stockholder. He also erected a 
fine residence and, surrounded with comforts and, lu.xuries, lived in the quiet enjoy- 
ment of the fruit of his industry, economy and honorable dealing. As a business 
man Mr. Bowen possessed remarkable financial ability and was widely known for 
his shrewdness, cautiousness, and his decided, vigorous and confident action. 

In political affairs he held decided views, and though an earnest worker had no 
desire for official honors. He was originally a Whig but later a Republican. His 
early religious training was under Baptist influences, but he became very liberal in 
his theological sentiments, and sympathized with all enterprises calculated to better 
the condition of men. He liberally contributed his means, regardless of sect. He 
traveled extensively with his family through the Southern Pacific States, and was 
thoroughly conversant with all matters of public interest. 

Mr. Bowen was married on the 8th of June, 1853, to Miss Mary Ann Persons 
of Sheldon, Wyoming county. New York, a lady of excellent family, amiable and 
refined, and the possessor in an eminent degree of those delicate sensibilities and 
noble impulses which insure that fidelity and devotion typical of the true wife and 
mother. She contributed largely to her husband's success in business, while for 
more intellectual improvement he was no less indebted to the air of purity and in- 
telligence that daily surrounded his home. 

Mr. Bowen died, after a protracted period of illness, March 11, 1890, surviving 
his wife but a short time. Two children survive: Mrs. T. B. McMartin, of Sioux 
Falls, South Dakota; and Myron P., who still resides at Brodhead, Wisconsin, and 
inherits his father's many amiable traits and business qualifications. 



FRANCIS J. McLEAN, 

MENOMONIE. 

FRANCIS J. McLEAN was born in Cambridge, Washington county. New York, 
September 11, 1837. His great-grandfather, William McLean, a Scotchman of 
illustrious ancestry, whose lineage is described in Profsssor j. P. McLean's history 
of the " Clan McLean, " came to the Colonies about 1760, and finally settled in 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 363 

Trenton, New Jersey, where he died October 2, 1781. His widow, with the follow- 
ing chiklren, -John, Francis, William, James, Andrew, Thomas and Jane, — moved 
to Washington county, New York, in 1784. There the children reached maturity, 
and the sons and their immediate descendants became prominent in business and 
professional life. Among these mention might be made of Judge John McLean, 
whose judicial record is well known and whosct opinions are so often quoted as 
authority. 

One of the sons of William, I'Vancis McLean, for whom the subject of this 
sketch was named, was a wealthy farmer and for some time an influential member 
of the Legislature. He married Miss Mary Hill, an estimable lady, whose family 
were well known and highly esteemed. In early life they both became members of 
the church of the celebrated Dr. Bullion, which was the first Presbyterian Church 
of North Cambridge. In accordance with the custom of those days, the parents 
and children alike were always in attendance to listen to the two long morning and 
afternoon sermons, each about two hours in length. The rest of the afternoon was 
devoted to the catechism and bible. Nothing of a secular nature was ever allowed 
to creep in, either for reading or conversation. Hymns were not considered suffi- 
ciently devotional for the Sabbath, so in their place they sang the Psalms, which 
were set to music and used at times in many of the Presbyterian churches. Even 
Hannah and Jack, two faithful servants, formerly slaves, who chose to remain in 
the family after gaining their freedom and who were valued members of the house- 
hold as long as they lived, were not only familiar with the Psalms, but could repeat 
entire chapters of the bible, from listening to the frequent reading of the book. 
Such servants as were not permanent members of the family were never allowed to 
go or come on Sunday, but were required to leave Saturday night and return Mon- 
day morning. P"rancis McLean died January ii, 1831, on his farm in the central 
part of Cambridge, Washington county. New York. The children born to him 
were: William, Ale.xander, Francis, James, Ebenezer, Martha and Anne. 

Of these, James, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Washing- 
ton county. New York, September 17, 1803, and died in Nichols, Tioga county, New 
York, October 7, 1877. He too was a farmer, starting out in life well-to-do, but was 
unfortunate in his financial adventures, and in early life lost his entire property, 
which he never regained. He always "held his own" as he frequently remarked 
while struggling with poverty. He was highly respected by his fellowmen for his 
upright and irreproachable character. No one ever questioned the integrity or 
Christian character of "Uncle Jimmie" McLean, as he was familiarly called. " An 
honest man is the noblest work of God " could be truly applied to him. He mar- 
ried Eliza, daughter of Owen and Lydia (Sawyer) Perry, who was born in New- 
buryport, Massachusetts, June 3, 1813, and who died in Menomonie, Wisconsin, 
May 31, 187S, while visiting her son. She was a remarkable woman, cultured be- 
yond most women of her time, and, although compelled to practice the closest econ- 
omy in Ijringing up her children and conducting her household, yet she always found 
time to mingle in society, of which she was an esteemed and honored member. She 
was noted for her kind-heartedness, was much among the sick and sorrowing, and, 
notwithstanding her own straitened circumstances never turned anyone "emj^ty 



364 BlOGKAriUCAL DICTIONARY AND I'OKTKAIT GAl.l.KRV OF THE 

away." She taught her children much at home, was a good grammarian, being able 
to repeat the rules of the old grammars, so familiar to her, even in old age. She 
was truly one of the women of whom Solomon said, " Her children rise up and call 
her blessed." She and her husband were both honored members of the Presbyte- 
rian Church. The children born to them were: Mary L., Mj^ra and Lydia L. Vyra 
(^twins), Francis J., Rose E. (Mrs. J. F. UeGroat), William H. and Martha (wife of 
Ur. D. H. Decker). Of these the only survivors are Francis J. and Mrs. U. H. 
Decker, who also resides in Menomonie, and whose husband is a prominent phy- 
sician of that city. 

Frank (., as he is familiarly called, received his etUuation by the fireside at 
home, at the common school, and at the Owego (New York) Academy. He was 
robust and strong in his boyhood and attained his growth earl}', and this fact, to- 
gether with the circumstances of the family, which rendered his services on the 
farm imperative, interrupted greatly his educational opportunities. His own determi- 
nation to acquire an education, however, and his perseverance in studying nights 
with the help of his parents, — his father being an excellent mathematician, — enabled 
him at an early age to enter the teacher's class at the academy, where he passed 
the required examination which entitled him to free tuition. When ready to leave 
for the purpose of teaching a winter school, he was surprised and highly gratified 
when Professor Wiggins, the principal, invited him to his house, and, with thanks 
for his efficient work at the academj', presented him with the following recommen- 
dation: 

Owego Academy, Owego, N. Y., 

September 30, 1858. 

We hereby certify that Frank J. McLean is at present a member of the teach- 
ers' class in this institution, that he is a good scholar and of good moral character, 
and that he is possessed largely of energy and tact, and of those qualities which tit 
one for a successful teacher. We cheerfully recommentl hini to the confidence of 
the public. 

c- 1 \ A. B. Wiggins, ( r> ■ ■ 1 
hignec , -, I \ T3 ■ r rincipa s. 

"^ I j. A. Prindi.e, \ ' 

He held teachers' certificates of the first grade from several superintendents, 
but this unexpected compliment from the Owego Academy was to him more than 
all, coming as it did unsolicited. Mr. McLean was a successful teacher. He com- 
menced at the early age of seventeen with a large winter school at Ball's Mills, 
near Williamsport, Pennsj-lvania, and ended by teaching the village school at his 
home, Nichols, New York, where he taught successfully for three j'ears, taking the 
school at a time when the pupils had routed two or three teachers and were in a 
general condition of insubordination. It was universally regretted on the part of 
the patrons of the school when he severed his connection therewith. He always 
felt that this early ordeal was a school for him also. Here was developed that 
strong self-control that has characterized him through life, making him the success- 
ful man of business, lawyer and financier. 

Mercantile business first engaged his attention, ami the firm of McLean & 
Howell became widely known, because of their extensive business in general mer- 
chandise, grain, etc. Mr. Howell furnished most of the capital and Mr. McLean 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 365 

had full charge of the business, which was continued with marked success for two 
years, during which time Mr. McLean's share of the profits enabled him to pur- 
chase a fine residence in the village of Nichols, as a home for his father and mother 
and family, and also a small farm, just outside, for their use as long as they lived. 
This gift, which was so freely tendered, and which afforded his father and mother 
so much comfort in their declining years, Mr. McLean has often said was the proud- 
est act of his life. He was also able to aid his younger and only brother, William 
H., in acquiring an education and in attending the medical college at Albany, New 
York, where he graduated in 1865, with high honors, locating at Monticello, New 
^'ork, where he entered a successful practice. Mr. McLean had read law as best 
he could up to this time, while teaching school and at home, looking forward to the 
time, which he felt had now come, when he could afford to attend the law school at 
Albany, New York. He therefore prevailed upon his valued friend and partner, 
John Howell, to purchase his interest in the business, and then entered the Albany 
University. He graduated in the class of 1865, after which he returned to Nichols 
and followed his profession in Tioga county until 1867, .when he settled in .Menom- 
onie, Wisconsin, where he soon took a conspicuous place as a prominent member 
of the bar and a public-spirited citizen. His success as a practitioner is shown bj' 
the numerous cases argued by him and recorded in the \Visconsi-n Supreme Court 
Reports. 

October 7, 1875, he married Miss Mary, the estimable daughter of Captain 
William and Angeline (Halej Wilson. The children of this marriage are: James 
Perry, born July 6, 1876; Mar>', August 30, 1878; William Wilson, December i, 1880; 
Francis Julian, July 20, 1883; and Marjorie, May 20, 1891. 

In politics Mr. McLean is a Democrat, and, although not a strong partisan, has 
always contributed liberally to the cause. The following is worthy of mention. In 
1879 the plant of the only Democratic newspaper in the county, the Menomonie 
Times, was sold on chattel mortgage to Marder. Luse & Company, of Chicago, and 
was packed and ready for shipment. Mr. McLean realized at once the unfortunate 
situation of the party and telegraphed an offer, which was accepted. The fragments 
were unpacked, and an engine and a new power press, as well as other material, 
purchased by him at a large outlay, and for nearly ten years the paper was con- 
tinued successfully as a newspaper and party organ, but at great loss of time and 
thousands of dollars to Mr. McLean. The enterprise was finally organized into 
a stock company, and the stock is now owned by Mr. McLean and other Demo- 
crats of the city. He has never asked office, nor accepted other than those of 
director of the city library and Trustee of the Congregational Church, — with the 
single exception of member and President of the .Menomonee Board of Education, 
to which office he was elected by the city at large. 

January 2, 1883. he assisted in connection with his cousin, W. C. .McLean, cash- 
ier, in the organization of the F"irst National Bank of Menomonie, of which he is 
president and the largest stockholder. The success of this institution is largely 
due to his personal supervision and e.xecutive ability. He is also interested in sev- 
eral other financial institutions in different parts of the State. He is a born leader 
and organizer and a careful operator of financial institutions. To these facts he 



366 HlOGRAl'llKAl, DUniONAKV AND PURTRAir GAl.l.KUV OK TIIIC 



owes most of his prosperity. To say that he has been a benefit to Menomonie 
mildly expresses the deeds he has accomplished, lie has contributed generously 
to the building of nearly every church in the city, and is generally foremost in every 
good work. 

LEMAN BARTLETT, 

MII.WAUKKK. 

^f^llE true measure of one's success is what one has arconiplislu'd, and he best 
-L fulfills his mission in life who best uses his abilities and opportunities. When 
measured by these standards, Leman Bartlett must be classed with those successful 
men who have made the most and the best of themselves. Mr. Bartlett has risen 
through his own exertions from ixwerty and obscurity. The years of his youth and 
early manhood were full of hard manual labor illy recompensed. He was born in 
Jericho, Vermont, November ii, 182Q. His parents were William and Betsy (Bean) 
Bartlett, the former of Scotch ancestry. Until he was seven yearsold Leman re- 
mained in his native State. In 1836 his parents moved to Saranac in northern New 
York, and in that section his father cleared a farm and continued in agricultural 
pursuits. His boyhood was passed in assisting his fath'r in such work as his strength 
would permit. His school education was limited to a brief period spent in the dis- 
trict school. His opportunities were limited to the rudimentary branches. He early 
in life displayed firmness of character and a strong determination to successfully 
accomplish everything that he attempted to do. He was ever ready to work hard 
and earnestly, and accepted all opportunities to work. He has labored in the potato 
field for twenty-five cents a day, — not a working day of eight hours but between day- 
light and darkness — thirteen to fifteen hours. He was reared to habits of industry and 
economy, and these principles have been followed by him through life, and to them 
his success is largely attributable. At the age of eighteen he began work in lumber 
mills and in the woods, at a salary of $10 a month. He was always honest and con- 
scientious in the discharge of his duties, and no labor was too onerous and no dan- 
ger too hazardous to deter him from doing that which he considered right. He has 
driven logs in icy streams and been thrown into the chilling water time and again; 
swung the woodman's ax amid the pine forests of New York during the winter 
months, and in summer assisted in turning the timber into finished lumber. He was' 
intelligent, industrious and faithful, and soon earned and received promotion. He 
was placed in charge of a large gang mill operating 125 saws, and for this responsi- 
ble labor he received the princely salary of $36 monthly. Nevertheless he determined 
to accumulate some money, and by economy he saved about $500, with which 
amount in 1855 he journeyed westward and located in .\rena, Iowa county, Wiscon- 
sin, where he purchased a farm, lie did not confine his labor \o his farm but ac- 
cepted all honorable opportunities to earn an honest dollar. He worked by the 
month in various lines of labor and was enabled to save about $1,500. He then took 
some contracts from the St. Paul Railroad Company and erected fences for that cor- 
poration along its line of road. 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE IMTEU STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 369 

On December 8, 1859, Mr. I^arllctt married Miss Eliza Barnard, a native of 
Missouri. With his young wife he retired to his farm and remained there until 
September, i860, when in company with his father-in-law, John Barnard, and brother- 
in-law, Henr)- Barnard, he entered the mercantile business at Spring Green, Sauk 
county, as a partner in the firm of John Barnard & Company. Later John Barnard 
sold his interest to his son and the business was continued under the name of Bar- 
nard & Bartlett until February, 1867, when it was closed out. 

At that time, Mr. Bartlett found himself in possession of $13,000. With this 
amount he moved to Milwaukee and purchased an interest in the grain comrtiission 
business established the previous year by H. Zinkeisen, which was then continued 
under the title of Zinkeisen & Bartlett. The following year Mr. Oscar Mohr was 
admitted as a minor partner and the style of the firm was changed to Zinkeisen, 
Bartlett & Company. .Mr. Bartlett soon made his influence felt in the business. His 
straightforward, honest method of transacting business, his open and frank manner 
of speaking, soon won the confidence of large customers, and an idea of his honesty 
in business may be gleaned from the fact that some of his largest customers have 
dealt with him continuously year after year since he commenced business. 

In April, 1875, .Mr. Zinkeisen, who had started on a trip to Europe, was lost 
with the ill-fated .Schiller, and death dissolved the partnership of Zinkeisen, Bart- 
lett & Company, although the business was conducted under the same name until 
1886, when it was dissolved by mutual consent, and Mr. Bartlett admitted his son, 
Oscar Z. Bartlett, into a partnership, under the firm name of L. Bartlett & Son- 
.Since then their business has rapidly and steadily increased in magnitude. They 
are members of the Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce and the Chicago Board of 
Trade. They have branch houses in Chicago and Minneapolis and correspondents 
in all of the principal markets of the country, and their trade extends over the 
.States of Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota and the Dakotas. 

Mr. Bartlett early foresaw the increase in value of Milwaukee realty, and as he 
accumulated capital not needed in his business he invested in city property. 

Mr. Bartlett has traveled quite extensively throughout the United States and 
Ijy friction with the world has overcome the lack of opportunity to receive a school 
education, and in the school of experience he has learned more than books can 
teach. He is courteous, sociable and agreeable to all. His family, in addition to 
his wife heretofore mentioned, consists of his son Oscar Z., who has already attained 
considerable prominence in the business world, and his daughter Lena, now .Mrs. S. 
G. Courteen. 

Mr. Bartlett owes his success in life to earnest, conscientious endeavor, ambition 
and tireless energy. He has probably put in more hours of work than any other 
business man in .Milwaukee. During the last few years he has placed some of his 
work upon his son's shoulders, but when the business was more exclusively controlled 
fjy him he made it a rule to be at his desk by seven o'clock in the morning, rain or 
shine, summer or winter, and frequently was at his post earlier than that time. 
Even now he is in his office before ten per cent, of Milwaukee's business men have 
risen from bed. 

The biographies of such men as Mr. Bartlett should serve as inspirations to the 



370 13K)Gl<ArilUAl. DKTU)NAKV AND POKIRAIT GALLERY Ol' THE 



young, for they illustrate most forcibly that young men can overcome all difticulties 
and earn for themselves competences and honored names, providing they are de- 
termined to succeed, ambitious, energetic and economical. Mr. Bartlett started in 
life as poor as the poorest of boys. His opportunities for advancement were mea- 
ger. He made the best use of all chances offered; worked hard, earnestly and faith- 
fully, and now, at the age of sixty-five years, he can look backward upon an honor- 
able career and sliould feel a conscientious jiridc in recalling the obstacles he has 
surmounted. 



HON. CHARLES S. FULLER, 

PRAIRIE DU CllIEN. 

HONORABLE CHARLES SPENCER FULLER, Judge of Crawford county, 
is a thoroughly self-made man, and his eminent position in the community 
has been attained by a well-spent life, marked by fidelity to duty, close application 
to the work in hand and by steady perseverance. Judge Fuller was born in Athens, 
Crawford county, Pennsylvania, on the 30th of June, 1849, and is the second in a 
family of four children, whose parents were Charles and Celestia (Wilfod) Fuller. 
He traces his ancestry in direct line to the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Col- 
ony. The father, who moved with his family to Wisconsin in 1853. located at 
Johnson Center, in Rock county, where he remained until i860. It was there 
Charles began his education, receiving all the instruction afforded by the schools 
of the village. His hours not employed at his studies were devoted to assisting his 
father in the cultivation and management of his farm. His ambition was to be a 
lawyer, and with this end in view his evenings were passed in close application to 
law studies. 

In i860 his father removed to Dane county, and in consequence Judge Fuller 
was convenient to the State University, and by teaching and saving his money he 
was enabled to enter that institution and further continue his education, which he 
did by taking the regular three years' course, and when that was completed he en- 
tered the law department, at which he was graduated in 1875. In the fall of the 
same year he came to Prairie du Chien and entered upiMi the practice of his pro- 
fession, — a young man, ambitious and enterprising, who had determined to win 
success if it could be accomplished by earnest and persistent effort. He was soon 
acknowledged to be the peer of any at the bar of Crawford county. For a few 
months he was associated in business with L. E. Haines, and then formed a part- 
nership with Hon. O. B. Thomas, under the firm name of Thomas & Fuller, which 
association still continues. F'rom the beginning, the merit of these gentlemen has 
been acknowledged by a liberal patronage, anci they have been retained as counsel 
in many important litigations, some of more than local interest, — especially that of 
Mary larvis versus Patrick Burke, involving the validity of a purchase of a tax title, 
in which the firm of Thomas cl' Fuller won the victory for their client, the de- 
fendant. 



RKTRKSKNTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 371 

\'o\- niiif yt'ars Ju(l<re I'uller occupied tin; position of County Superintendent of 
Scliools, a most etticicnt and capable officer, and in i8SS he was appointed by Rob- 
ert Graham, the State Superintendent, to the position of chairman of the State 
Board of Visitors to the Milwaukee Normal School, a fitting recognition of his 
ability in educational matters. He is a warm friend of education and is interested 
in everything that tends toward its advancement. 

Judge Fuller was united in marriage June iq, 1877, to Miss Clara E. Espenette, 
of Dane county, and by their union have been born five children: Ada, Herbert, 
Charles, Jessie and Clarence. 

In 1883 Mr. Fuller was appointed by Governor Rusk as County Judge, and has 
since served with a degree of fidelity and ability which has won him the unqualified 
commendation of his fellow-citizens. His political preferences are decidedly Re- 
publican, and on that ticket he was elected Mayor of IVairie du Chien, holding that 
office in i88g and 1890. Wherever he is known he is held in the highest regard for 
his many sterling cjualities, and his friends are many. 



HON. EDWARD I. KIDD, 

PKAIKIE DU ClIIEN. 

HON. EDWARD ISAAC KIDD is a native of the State in which he now re- 
tains a residence, having been born at Millville, Grant county. May 10, 1845. 
In order of birth he was the second child of William and Rebecca (Steele) Kidd, 
both of whom were of English nativity, and the former of whom was for many 
years a representative business man and honored citizen of Millville, where he con- 
ducted extensive milling industries. 

Edward was afforded such educational advantages as were offered by the com- 
mon schools and passed his boyhood much after the fashion of the average Ameri- 
can youth of that period. On August g, 1862, — shortly after leaving school, and 
being at that time but three months past his seventeenth birthday anniversary, — 
he entered the army and was assigned to Company C, Twenty-fifth Wisconsin 
X'olunteers, — the regiment commanded by the late General Rusk. 

During the ensuing fall the Twenty-fifth was stationed at Sauk Center, Minne- 
sota, where it had been ordered for the purpose of suppressing the Indian uprising 
in that State. However, the regiment returned to Wisconsin in November and 
passed the winter at Madison. The following spring found the Twenty-fifth at 
Columbus, Kentucky, from which point it proceeded to Vicksburg and participated 
in the siege of that city. Vicksburg was taken July 4, i86_^, and a month later the 
regiment of which our subject was a member mcjved north to Helena, Arkansas, 
where it went into winter quarters. 

In the spring of 1864 the Twenty-fifth Wisconsin was attached to General 
Sherman's forces, as that commandant was on his Meridian march, proceeding 
thence to Chattanooga, Tennessee. The regiment parlicijiated in the .Atlanta 



372 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

campaign and accompanied the hero of Atlanta on his ever memorable march to 
the sea, after which it marched through the Carolinas to Washington, where its 
members were mustered out of service, thereupon departing for their several 
homes. 

In the meantime the father of our subject had died, and upon the return of the 
soldier son to his home he became associated with his brother in carrying forward 
the business enterprise which the father had conducted for so many years in Mill- 
ville, and for twenty-three years they operated the mill successfully, both as re- 
gards practical and financial results. In i88q they disposed of the property and 
our subject removed to Prairie du Chien, becoming cashier of the newly organized 
Bank of Prairie du Chien, General Lucius Fairchild being the president of the in- 
stitution. The financial stock representation of this corporation is $30,000, with a 
surplus of $20,000, and it ranks as one of the foremost banks, in points of strength 
and solidity, that southwestern Wisconsin can claim. Mr. Kidd, who is the prin- 
cipal executive of the practical business of the institution, is cool-headed, con- 
servative and cautious, and carried the bank safely through the financial crisis 
of 1893 with credit unimpaired and confidence in its soundness undiminished, — and 
this In the face of almost daily failures of leading banking houses throughout the 
Union. 

Politically Mr. Kidd is a consistent adherent of the Republican party, and in 
the connection he has been especially honored by his fellow citizens, both of Grant 
and Crawford counties. He has served for three consecutive terms in the lower 
branch of the Wisconsin Legislature, having been first elected thereto, from the 
third assembly district of Grant county, in 1880. In 1885 he was chosen State Sen- 
ator from the sixteenth senatorial district for a four years' term, and was re-elected 
to the same office in 1889, his term expiring January i, 1895. Within the career of 
our subject as State Senator he has been a member of the important committee on 
claims and apportionments, and has taken a prominent part in all the legislative 
proceedings. He gained recognition as one of the ablest members of the sena- 
torial body, and within a very brief period after taking his seat he stood forward 
as one of the recognized leaders of his party. His name was prominently men- 
tioned in connection with the nomination as a candidate for Governor of the State, 
and his name was presented to the convention in 1894, 

The crucial days when the brave boys in blue placed their lives in the balance 
in defending their country's honor ever live in the memory of those who survive to 
tell the stirring tales of the great conflict, and in this line Senator Kidd retains his 
interest, in common with thousands of his old comrades in arms, and the manifest- 
ation of this interest is shown by his attendance at the encampments of the Grand 
Army of the Republic, of which he is an honored member. 

He is also identified in a fraternal way with the Masonic order, in which he 
has advanced to the Knights Templar degree; and with the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows. 

Turning in conclusion to the page of the domestic life of our subject, we find 
that on June 10, 1S68, he was united in marriage to Miss Mattie P. Washburn, of 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 375 



Mill\ ille. I he\' ht-cann: the ])circnts of two thildren, l)oth of wlioni arc- now de- 
ceased. Reli^jiously -Senator and Mrs. K'ldd lend their inlliience and suijjxjrt to the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. 



HON. WILLIAM J. FLSK, 

KOKT HOWARD. 

"I A T"! 1.1,1AM J. F"ISK was born in the vilhiL^e of Brunswick, Ohio, June 25, 1833, 
T T the eldest of seven children born to Joel S. Msk and his wife Charlotte, nee 
Green. His ancestry, both lineal and collateral, is American for many generations. 
A genealogical record of the Fisk family traces the descent of our subject to .Sy- 
niond Fiske, Lord of the manor of Stradbaugh, parishof Farfield, county of Suffold, 
England, who lived in the reign of Henry IV. and VI. (from 1399 to 1422). 

William J. Fisk is a direct descendant of Phineas Fiske, Esq., who emigrated 
to the Colonies in 1637, and was one of the first settlers of Wenham, Massachusetts. 
He was Captain of the militia in Wenham, and Constable in 1644; Representative to 
the General Court in 1653; appointed "commissioner to end small causes," probably 
a Justice, in 1654, and his estate was settled b}' will, upon his decease in 1673. His 
descendants, in a large degree, followed professional pursuits and individual mem- 
bers of the family attained prominent positions in the pulpit. They participated 
patriotically in the Revolutionary war, in which several members were commis- 
sioned officers. 

Mr. Fisk's father was Ijorn in St. .Albans, X'ermont, and was a son of .Solomon 
Fisk, who settled in northern Vermont. At an early age he became a merchant's 
clerk and followed that occupation for several years in New York State, when he 
married, upon reaching man's estate. Deciding to come West, he journeyed to 
Ohio, in which State his eldest child, the subject of this sketch, was born. Two 
years later he came further West, and in 1835 stopped in Green Bay. He engaged 
in the lumber business, aud also opened a mercantile establishment. In 1836 he 
went after his wife and son and brought them to his new home. He was the pio- 
neer lumberman in certain sections of northern Wisconsin and built the first mill 
at De Pere. He also erected the first gristmill in Fond du Lac. In 1835, in in- 
specting the timber and lands of Wisconsin, he walked over the territory between 
Green Bay and Chicago by Indian trail. He became a successful and wealthy man. 
He died May 27, 1877, aged sixty-seven. His wife passed away April 5, 1877. 

The boyhood days of the subject of this memoir were passed in the manner of 
other boys of his age. He attended such schools as the community offered until 
he was fourteen years of age. From that time on throughout his life he earned 
his own living. His first work was performed in the land office in Green Bay in 
1848, and while thus engaged he made the maps for the reservation of lands for the 
improvement of the Fo.\ and Wisconsin rivers. While an employe of the land 
office [ohn Fitzgerald, formerly a resident of Oshkosh, urged him to save his money 
and invest his savings in land. So thoroughly did Mr. Fitzgerald impress the matter 



376 llkU'.KAl'IIUAl DU IIONAKN AM) I'IIRIKAH C.Al.l.KRV OI TIIK 



upon his mind that the principle of economy was thoroughly ingrafted into him. 
Out of his year's savings he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land and 
thus became a property owner before he was sixteen. In 1849 he became an em- 
ploye of a jeweler and watchmaker. He found the work too confining for his con- 
stitution and in the following year obtained a position as clerk with a Fort Howard 
merchant named John Gray, at a salary of twenty-five dollars per month. He re- 
tained that position two years, when, finding he had saved some money, and de- 
sirous to improve his education, he attended the institute at Appleton, Wisconsin, 
paying for his tuition and board from his savings. At the age of twenty he 
returned to Fort Howard and at once began trading in the products brought into 
that town. He had, early in his boyhood days, displayed his self-reliance, and his 
father, believing that he could safely make his own way in the world, encouraged 
him in the direction that he had started, by leaving him to his own resources. 
During his first year he entered into a contract with Chancy Lamb, now senior 
member of the firm of Lamb <S: Sons, of Clinton, Iowa, to furnish him four hundred 
thousand shingles, at two dollars and a half a thousand. Mr. Lamb took a deep 
interest in the young man and encouraged him very nuicii. He paid him in ad- 
vance one thousand dollars cash for the shingles, and Mr. I'isk now says that was 
the largest amount of money he had ever seen at one time and made him feel 
wealthier than he has ever felt since. The money was paid in State Bank notes of 
small denominations, and it certainly must have appeared quite a large amount to 
the young man. In the fall of 1853, Mr. Fisk entered the mercantile business in 
Fort Howard, and in 1S55 erected a shingle mill. He was the second man to man- 
ufacture sawed shingles in the West. His business was prosperous, and he was 
successful in outside trading and felt that he was on the high road to prosperity, 
when the panic of 1857 paralyzed the industries of the country. Mr. F"isk, although 
perfectly solvent, was badly crippled by the panic. Among his possessions were 
two million shingles, but there was no market for them. He therefore suggested 
to E. A. Goodrich, now the controlling spirit of the Goodrich Transportation 
Company, to carry them to Chicago and await a sale, fliis was clone, Init it re- 
quired two years' time before the shingles were finally sold. In iSoj Mr. I'isk sold 
out his mercantile establishment. In that year he canvassed the county in the 
interest of voting bonds for the construction of a railroad. He was well known 
throughout the county and assisted most niatrrialK in ha\ ing the necessary aid 
voted. Some of his experiences were interesting ami humorous. Few knew what 
a railroad was, and some of their ideas, drawn entirely from imagination, displayeci 
dense ignorance. One man said he would favor it if it were only a canal: others 
thought the company would get the money and not build the road; others that the 
road woukl not be used after it was built; another man from "York" State, who 
owned forty acres of land, who had seen railroads and knew all about them, said 
if the company would run across one corner of liis land and give him a side-track, 
and buy all the wood it needed of him. he woukl vote in favor of the bonds. After 
the bonds were voted, Mr. Fisk took a contract to furnish the timber and ties used 
in constructing the road between .Appleton and Fort Howard, and also for building 
the railroad company's docks and ele\ator. Since then he has been operating 



RllKl.SKN 1 A I l\ K MKN OK I'llK UNITKI) STATKS; WISCONSIN VOI.UMK. 377 



continually with the Northwestern Railroad, furnishing a large amount of timber 
and ties for use of various divisions of the railroad. In 1871 he furnished the 
material for the construction of the road to Marinette, and in the following year 
(lid the same for the extension from Menominee to Escanaba. 

When his elder s ons grew to manhood he admitted them into the business, and 
now the firm is known as W. I). I'isk & Company, and is composed of himself and 
W. 1). and Harry W. Fisk, two of his sons. 

For thirty years Mr. Fisk has been connected with the l)ankiiig interests in 
Green Bay. In 1865 he became a stockholder and director in the First National 
Bank, of Green Bay. In 1870 he became president of the City National Bank, and 
in 1874, whcin that institution was succeeded by the Kellog National Bank, he be- 
came vice-president of the latter institution. In i8qi Mr. Kellog died and Mr. 
Fisk was induced to accept the presidency. This position he now occupies. As a 
financier he enjoys a high reputation and as a conservative, far-seeing banker he 
enjoys the confidence of all classes in the community. He has been engaged in a 
great number of enterprises during his business life in Green Bay, all of which 
have been benefited by his business ability. Before the advent of the railroads, 
communication with the outside world was carried on by boats in summer and by 
stages in winter. One line was known as the Green Bay and Menominee Naviga- 
tion Company. He was largely interested in this corporation and during its e.xist- 
ence acted as its superintendent. 

He owned large tracts of timber lands, and at the time of the Peshtigo tire in 1871, 
some ten thousand acres of valuable timber belonging to him was devoured by the 
flames; and he also lost heavily in the Chicago fire at same time. This was a 
severe blow to him, but, undiscouraged he went manfully to work and soon re- 
trieved his fortunes. 

Politically Mr. I'isk is of Democratic antecedents, but is now strongly Re|)ul)li- 
can. In i860 he voted for Abraham Lincoln, and since then has been a firm be- 
liever in the doctrines of Republicanism. In the early years of his business life he 
was Alderman of the city, and at one time filled the position of City Treasurer, and 
was also Postmaster, from 1862 to 1865 inclusive. In 1875 he was elected a member 
of the State Legislature and was re-elected in 1876 and in 1877. He was active in 
a quiet way, in opposition to the "Granger" legislation against railroads, and was 
chairman of the Committee on Railroads, when the famous railroad act known as 
the Potter Law was repealed. He has never sought political positions and has no 
desire for honors of that kind. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and has 
attained to the Knight Templar degree. He was married in 1855 to Miss Mary J. 
Driggs, of Fond du Lac. Four sons, three of whom are now living, have blessed 
this marriage: Wilbur I), and Harry \V. are associatetl with their father in busi- 
ness; G.Wallace is an 'in/i/oijc of the Kellog National Bank; and PVank .S. died 
in 1881, aged twenty-two years. The father and sons have each a residence upon 
what is known as the "four-acre lot" in the city of P'ort Howard, the four acres 
liaving descended to Mr. W. J. I'isk from his father. 

Mr. Fisk's career illustrates most forcibly the power of steady api)lication and 
grii. 1 le very early in life disijlayed a degree of s<-lf-rcliance and business ability 



378 HIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALI.PZRY OF THE 

that alone would assure success to any boy. He has overcome all obstacles and 
earned for himself the title of self-made man, in the fullest sense of that often mis- 
used term. He has led an honorable, straightforward life, aiding all feasible en- 
terprises that would materially benefit the cities of Green Bay and Fort Howard, 
and giving from his store to religious and charitable institutions. He is a member 
of no church, but believes in the power of religion for good, and the Young Men's 
Christian Association has found in him a warm friend and a generous patron. Mr. 
Fisk donated to the association the fund for the erection of their building. His 
career should serve as an inspiration to the young, and convince them that steady 
application, unyielding grit, and honest and upright conduct are the principles on 
which true success is founded. Personally, Mr. Fisk is courteous and a pleasant, 
social companion. All of his acts show him to be a retiring, unostentatious gen- 
tleman, and he commands the honor and respect of the entire community. 



HENRY C BAKER, 



SUCCESS in any calling, and particularly in the profession of the law, is due 
mainlj^ to industry. There are many men who become well known to the pub- 
lic at large by obtaining prominent offices. Such men may or may not possess the 
quality of greatness. Party conventions do not always select as candidates the 
wisest or the best citizens. Mere wire-workers are often more successful than real 
statesmen. On the other hand there may be found in almost all American commu- 
nities quiet, retiring men who never ask for office themselves, who never seek to 
obtain nominations at the hands of caucus or convention, yet who, by sheer force of 
mind and character, exert a wide influence and leave their impress on their age. 

Such a man is Henry Chapman Baker, of Hudson, Wisconsin. During the 
whole course of his life Mr. Baker has never presented himself voluntarily as a can- 
didate for any civil office, nor has he asked any man to vote for him. It is true 
that he was elected District Attorney for several years during the early history of 
St. Croix county, but he only accepted the office upon the most urgent solicitation 
of his friends, on the ground of public interest. 

Mr. Baker was born in Stafford, Genesee county, New York, November i$, 
1 83 1. He came from an old New England family whose forefathers on both sides 
of the house fought in the Revolutionary war, and he is a direct descendant of the 
famous Captain Remember Baker, prominent among the early settlers of Vermont, 
who was shot on Lake Champlain, in the beginning of the struggle for freedom, in 
1776. At the time of his birth Mr. Baker's parents, Luther A. and Mercy (Stan- 
nard) Baker.were in humble circumstances. They were typical specimens of that early 
race of sturdy and intelligent men and women, who, starting from the land of the 
Pilgrims and Puritans, have gradually marched westward, bringing with them the 
moral, intellectual and physical stamina derived from the hardy emigrants, who in 
the seventeenth century dared the perils of the sea and encountered the hardships 




^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 



RErRESENTATlVK MKN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 381 

and i^rivatioiis of life in a new and une\i)lored country to secure to themselves and 
their children the inestimable privileges of freedom of conscience. 

The early life of our subject was spent upon his father's farm, which, like other 
boys in those days, he assisted in cultivating. After the age of twelve he did a 
man's work, his only opportunity for educational advancement being that afforded 
at the short winter term of the district school. This discipline, however, was sup- 
plemented by those acquirements which came to him through his strong desire for 
more liberal attainments. Possessed of a retentive memory, he devoted his atten- 
tion at otherwise unoccupied moments to reading such books of history, biography, 
travels and general literature, as in those early days and in his secluded country 
home he could obtain, — thus rounding out a broad general information. The ne- 
cessities of this comparative frontier civilization, however, proved the most potent 
factor in the formation of his character. As is the case of the majority of the suc- 
cessful men of the country, it was the struggle under adverse circumstances and the 
improvement of opportunities that gave him the independence and self-confidence 
which have marked him among the prominent men of his time and locality. At 
the age of eighteen (1849) he attended for one year the Genesee and Wyoming 
Seminary in his native county, from which he entered the New York Normal Col- 
lege at Albany, where he graduated in 1854, and immediately returned to a profes- 
sorship in the Genesee and Wyoming Seminary, teaching mathematics and the 
natural sciences. While here he commenced the study of law, and faithfully and 
critically read Blackstone, Kent and Chitty during spare hours. 

In 1857 our subject entered the law office of Hon. Moses Taggart, at one time 
Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, at Batavia, the county-seat of his native 
county. From there he returned to Albany with the intention of pursuing his 
studies in the law school of that city. Law schools in those daj's were radically 
different from those of the present time, and Mr. Baker very soon concluded that 
he could prosecute his studies much more successfully by engaging in the actual 
work of the practice of the law in a good law office. He therefore entered the 
office of Willet & Hawley, in Albany, and in 1858 was admitted to the bar in that 
city. He at once returned to his native county and opened an office and com- 
menced the practice of his profession at Batavia. In the spring of 1859, soon after 
the St. Croix & Lake Superior Railroad was projected, Mr. Baker, anticipating 
rapid advancement in northern Wisconsin, sought this then new and undeveloped 
portion of the State as his home. It was a region rich in resources, affording 
boundless chances for the vigorous and sturdy character that had been formed in 
the State of his birth; a region in which everything was yet to be developed, — mines 
to be opened, farms to be improved, vast forests of valuable timber to be trans- 
ported to market, railroads to be built, wealth to be created. An inviting field this 
for a young man of nerve and force. .Soon after Mr. Baker settled at Hudson he 
became attorney for the .St. Croix & Lake Superior Railroad Company. It held a 
charter for the construction of a road from St. Croix lake to the head of Lake Su- 
perior and to Bayfield, and one of the most valuable grants of land ever conferred 
l)y Congress upon a State for internal improvements. The company had just en- 
tered upon the work of ronstrurring its road whi-n the war of ihi' Rcbrllion lirokc 



382 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

out and prevented the further prosecution of the enterprise, which was for the time 
being abandoned for want of capital. At the close of the war, when the finances of 
the country again assumed their normal condition, Mr. Baker was most untiring and 
persistent in his efforts to revive this dormant enterprise and to direct the attention 
of capitalists to this magnificent opportunity for profitable investment. In the year 
186S he so far succeeded that he found men of abundant capital who would take 
the charter and build the road but for the fact that, by the terms of the grant of 
the lands by Congress, the title to the unearned portions of the lands would revert 
to the general Government unless the road was completed May 5, i86g. The time 
was so short that capitalists could not be induced to undertake the work. 

Mr. Baker, however, insisted that, notwithstanding the provision of forfeiture 
in the act granting the lands in case the road was not completed by the day speci- 
fied, the State would still retain the title and could confer the grant upon any com- 
pany that would build the road, unless this right was determined by act of Congress 
or by decrees of court, of which there was not the remotest probability, in case the 
State was in good faith engaged in the execution of the trust. 

Unfortimately, however, the prevailing opinion at that time was adverse to this 
view, the general opinion being that upon the date specified the title of the State 
would be divested, and its powers to devote the lands to the purpose for which they 
were granted would cease. In the meantime the valuable pine forests upon the 
grant were being despoiled by trespassers, the State authorities declining to pro- 
tect the lands, as they were so soon to revert to the United States, and the officers 
of the general Government refusing to interfere for the reason that they were not 
yet restored to the public domain. In the winter of i868-g Mr. Baker went to Mad- 
ison and by much effort and perseverance induced the Legislature to pass a law au- 
thorizing the Governor to appoint an agent to protect these valuable pine lands. 
While the legislature yielded to his solicitation and passed the law, it was univers- 
ally regarded as useless legislation, in view of the fact that, upon the opening of 
spring, the State would no longer have any land grant to protect. The Governor, 
however, appointed as such agent General Samuel Harriman. The lumbermen 
laughed at the General, defied his authority and continued boldly and openly the 
work of spoliation. In the meantime Mr. Baker was laying his plans to seize the 
logs cut upon the grant when they came down the river, thereby forcing the lum- 
bermen to litigate their title, which would of course put in issue the title to the 
lands. 

In September, 1870, Mr. Baker formed a partnership with the then young and 
gifted attorney, Colonel J. C. Spooner, late United States Senator. Mr. Spooner 
at once grasped the situation and concurred fully with Mr. Baker in his opinion as 
to the title to the land grant. Under their direction the State agent, General Har- 
riman, seized several million feet of logs, all of which were cut upon the grant after 
May 5, 1869. These logs were at once replevied by the lumbermen, and the cases, 
eleven in number, were transferred to the United States Circuit Court. The case 
of Schulenberg vs. Harriman was selected as a test case. Judge Miller, of the 
United States Supreme Court, presided at the trial, and after a full hearing, upon 
which the lumbermen were represented by some of the ablest lawyers in the North- 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 383 

west, the court decided the case in favor of the State of Wisconsin, holding that the 
grant had not been divested by the lapse of time and that the State was and would 
remain the owner of the land, charged with the execution of its duty as trustee of 
the general Government until divested by a decree of court or an act of Congress. 
The case was taken to the Supreme Court of the United States and the judgment of 
the Circuit Court affirmed. As the result of this litigation capitalists at once came 
forward and offered to build the road. The grant was saved to the State and the 
road was built from Hudson to Bayfield under a charter granted to a corporation 
known as the North Wisconsin Railway Company. Cities and towns have sprung 
up along the line of this road, and one of the richest portions of the Northwest has 
been developed. Probably no suit that has ever been tried in the Northwest in- 
volved so large an amount, as the land grant was worth many millions of dollars. 
That the grant would have been lost to the State and the construction of these 
roads delayed for a generation but for the zealous and determined efforts of Mr. 
Baker, is conceded by all who are familiar with the facts. In the meantime the 
West Wisconsin Railroad had been constructed and Mr. Baker became the general 
solicitor of the North Wisconsin Company, and Colonel Spooner of the West Wis- 
consin. Subsequently these and other roads were consolidafed, forming the system 
now known as the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad, and Colonel 
Spooner accepted the position of general solicitor of the consolidated company. 
September i, 1880, just ten years to a day from the date of its formation, the 
firm of Baker & Spooner was dissolved, Mr. Baker retaining the general practice, 
which had become large and important, and Colonel Spooner devoting himself to 
the business of the large corporation for which he had become general counsel. In 
his capacity as general solicitor of the consolidated roads. Colonel Spooner was 
soon called upon, in a series of suits brought by other corporations, to defend the 
right of his company to the land grant. In conducting this remarkable litigation 
to a successful conclusion he won and still retains the reputation of being one of the 
ablest land-grant lawyers in the United States. 

In 1883 Mr. Baker accepted the position of Wisconsin attorney for the Minne- 
apolis, St. Paul & Sault de Ste. Marie Railway Company, which position he held for 
six years, covering the period of the construction of the road across the State of 
Wisconsin. In 1888 he retired from all outside business as corporation counsel and 
now devotes his entire time to his large office practice, and has formed the partner- 
ship of Baker & Helms. While not restricting his practice to any single department 
of the law, from an early period of his professional career Mr. Baker has made a 
close study of real-estate law, and is an acknowledged authority on tax titles. His 
services in this field have given him a wide reputation and have brought him many 
wealthy clients. 

Mr. Baker was married .September 11, i860, to Miss Ellen M. Brewster, of Le 
Roy, New York, a graduate of Ingham University, located in that town, and the 
granddaughter of Judge Henry Brewster, a prominent citizen of Le Roy. They 
have one child, a son, L. A. Baker, now actively engaged in mercantile business in 
West Superior, Wisconsin. He was married in 1887 to Miss Minnie A. Glover, 
daughter of John E. Cilover, Esq., of Hudson, Wisconsin. 



384 Bio(;RAi'nirAL dictionary and tortrait gallery of the 

In politics Mr. Baker is a Republican, as he considers the principles of that 
party most conducive to the welfare of his country. He is, however, entirely inde- 
pendent in thought and is in no wise a politician. He does not esteem lightly the 
duties of citizenship, but rather seeks earnestly to perform them fully and faithfully 
and with an eye single to the public welfare. In private life he is an earnest 
Christian, and has been for many years an active member of the Presbyterian 
Church. In common with most successful lawyers he has the talent for application 
and unceasing effort. His powers of analysis are unusually keen and he rarely 
fails to reveal much that would escape another less gifted in that direction. In 
speaking he never aims at display, but has a thoroughly practical method of pre- 
senting a subject. A prominent man, who has known Mr. Baker intimately for 
many years, and who enjoys a reputation second to none, recently said: " Henry C. 
Baker has stood in the front rank of lawyers in northern Wisconsin for many years. 
He has allowed nothing to divert him from his profession. He never relies on 
others to do his work, and every question is investigated until the subject is ex- 
hausted. His ability to make concise and logical statements to the court is most 
remarkable, and his manner is one of honesty and candor, which leaves no room 
for doubt as to his own conviction. He commands the respect of judges and law- 
yers, and as a citizen he is without reproach." 

He is uniformly courteous and kind. It may be said of him that his standing 
as a lawyer is only rivaled by his reputation as a gentleman; for in every relation 
in life he has been a perfect e.xponent of enlightened citizenship and refined man- 
hood. No lawyer in the Northwest is more respected among the members of the 
jjar, and none stand higher in public esteem. 



ABNER GILE, 

la CROSSE. 

^I^HE subject of this sketch, Abner (jile, was born at Gainesville, New York, Jan. 
JL uary 3, 1820, and is the son of Nathan and Lydia (Yates) Gile. 

His father was by occupation a farmer, and our subject was brought up to that 
hardy occupation. His education was such as was afforded by the district sqhool 
and upon finishing there he assisted his father on the farm until he attained his 
majority. 

But the energy of his character would not permit of his spending his life on a 
farm, and with a view of bettering his condition, he started for the great West, 
determinetl, if iiard work would do it, to make a name and a competency for 
himself. 

With this idea he located at Waukegan, Illinois, engaged in erecting docks and 
piers, and having a small amount of money, purchased a farm not far distant. 
In common with many others, he shared in the California gold excitement, and in 
1850 he made the journey overland to the Golden Gate, where for a year he re- 
mained, engaged in mining, meeting with considerable success. In fact, it was 
there that he laid the foundation of his present affluence. 



\ 

/9W 




\ ^ 




^"^Jl^C-U 



REPRESENTATnK MKN OF THE UNITED STATES", WISCONSIN VOLUME. 387 



He returned to the States by way of the isthmus, landed in New York, and 
shortly thereafter went to Wisconsin, which State has ever since been his home. 
He first settled at Onalaska, and entered upon logging operations: at first by him- 
self, and later in company with the late N. B. Holway, under the firm name of Gile 
& Holway; a partnership that lasted over a quarter of a century, and was dissolved 
only when the firm's pine timber had all been disposed of. Later, Mr. Gile re- 
nio\f(l to La Crosse, and in company with the late Hon. C. C.Washburn, organized 
tin- La Crosse Lumber Co., and erected a very large sawmill. 

This connection was terminated before Governor Washburn's death, and in 1882 
Mr. Gile, in company with Messrs. N. H. and Levi Withee, incorporated the Island 
Mill Lumber Company, which is still in existence, and of which Mr. Gile is presi- 
dent, though the company's affairs are now being wound up ; one hundred and 
fifty million feet of standing pine having been sold, partly on the stump and partly 
to be cut and delivered in the river, so that it will be some time Ix'fore the com- 
pany goes out of existence. 

In addition to his lumber interests, Mr. Gile has made numerous investments 
in other lines of business. I le was one of the incorporators of the La Crosse Lin- 
seed Oil Company, although not now a stockholder; the organizer, one of the 
heaviest stockholders and a director of the La Crosse Abattoir Company; one of 
the original stockholders of the Edison Light & Power Company; a stockholder 
in the La Crosse Gas Company, and in the Brush Electric Light Company. Me is 
a director and the vice-president of the Batavian Bank of La Crosse, one of the 
solid financial institutions of the upper Mississippi valley, and also holds stock in 
many enterprises of minor importance. In short, he interests himself in anything 
calculated to advance the interests of the city. 

But Wisconsin is not alone the field of Mr. Gile's investment. 1 le has recently 
interested himself in the manufacture of cypress lumber, with the corporation of 
McEwen & Murray, Limited, of New Orleans, Louisiana, and also has a large 
interest in the Park Hotel of Hot Springs, Arkansas. With all his prosperity, he 
does not forget that he was once a poor boy himself, and always responds most 
liberally to the many calls upon his generosity. Ever mindful of the city of his 
home, he delights in doing those acts that will aid in her prosperity. 

Mr. Gile is a member of the Universalist Church, and he, with three or four 
others, practically support the organization in La Crosse, being one of the most 
liberal of contributors. In politics he is a Republican, but is in no sense a poli- 
ticion, has no desire for office, and his interest is but that of a citizen wishing the 
be.st government. As a relaxation from business, Mr. Gile travels a great deal. 
He has made many trips to California, and always spends the winter in a warmer 
latitude. In fact, there is hardly a point of interest in the country that he has 
not visited. 

His beautiful residence, " Pasadena," is one of the most iiandsome homes in 
La Crosse. Mr. Gile was married in the early summer of 1843 ^^ Miss Mary Smith, 
a native of New York -State. Of this union but one child survives, Mrs. R. A. 
Scott, wife of La Crosse's ex-Postmaster, R. A. Scott ; a son, a mnnber of years ago, 
was accidently shot, and his loss was a most severe blow to his idolizing parents. 



388 BIOGR.VrHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 

The mother never recovered from the shock, and died not long after, in 1877. 

Mr. Gile has honestly worked his waj' to a position of eminence and affluence 
by industry and perseverance ; overcoming early difficulties of no ordinary kind. 
The manj' industries which he is or has been connected with, will remain long after 
he has passed away, as monuments to his unusual business ability. 



EDWARD P. ALLIS, 

MILWAUKEE. 

THE history of our country contains many characters of worth and excellence, 
furnishing such practical illustration of the value to society of the cardinal vir- 
tues in business life, as to make it desirable to record the more prominent examples 
of personal commercial integritj- and success, for the high purposes of instruction 
and honorable commendation. 

Men who live in the eye of the public as incumbents of offices conferred by 
suffrages of the people, reach places in history by the force of circumstances as 
well as by personal worth and the faithful employment of great abilities for the 
good of the nation. Men in business life can only rise into prominence and be- 
come objects of high consideration in public estimation b}' the development of the 
noblest attributes of manhood, in enterprises that largely affect the well-being of 
communities. The accidents of birth and fortune, and the adventitious aids of 
chance and circumstance, can do little to give those men position in history, whose 
resources are within the limits of their brains and hands. 

The subject of this sketch was a man of more than ordinary abilit)-, and while 
his life was passed in Wisconsin, his fame was national, and those who knew him 
both personally and by reputation may be found in ever}- corner of the land. 

While another or a different mind, peculiarly endowed, might bear a vast as- 
sembly upon the loftiest waves of impassioned eloquence, or weave over millions of 
hearts the raptures of an immortal poem, yet in all that goes to benefit practically 
the common mass of men, and to bear' society' forward in all that is meant by that 
expressive term "civilization," but few men in Wisconsin thus far can be assigned 
a place co-equal with Edward P. Allis. 

Edward Phelps Allis was born in Cazenovia, New York, May 12, 1824. He 
was a graduate of Union College, Schenectady, New York, and originally intended 
to make the law his profession, but in 1845, ^^ the time of his graduation, his atten- 
tion was directed to the wonderful resources of the Northwest. In 1846, therefore, 
Mr. Allis removed from New York State to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and having de- 
cided to devote himself to mercantile pursuits instead of the law, he formed a part- 
nership with Mr. William Allen, and conducted a leather store at what is now No. 
344 East Water street, under the firm name of Allis & Allen, until 1854. Mr. Allis 
was ambitious to enlarge their business, and from selling leather his enterprise led 
to its manufacture, and a large tannery was accordingly built at Two Rivers, Wis- 
consin. The business not being entirely to his tastes, Mr. Allis sold his interest in 




/w^ X^ /^^^/ 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNTI'EO STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. ^QT 

1854, and engaged in the real-estate and brokerage business with John P. McGregor. 
In i860, with Mr. C. 1). Nash and Mr. McGregor, Mr. Allis purchased the Reliance 
Works. A few months afterward he bought his partners' interests and became 
sole owner, and assumed the personal supervision, which he continued until his 
decease. The Reliance Works, when purchased by Mr. Allis, was merely a 
small shop where machinery was repaired and special work made to order. The 
country was new, and there was no trade established for any regular line of ma- 
chinery. The annual business amounted to only $31,000. Within four years after 
Mr. Allis had assumed control the business increased to an annual output of over 
$100,000. As Mr. Allis was not a mechanic nor even an engineer, his work and 
achievements in managing such a business seem the more remarkable. 

Under Mr. Allis' close personal attention the business expanded until it became 
the largest and the leading enterprise of its kind in the country, and stands to-day 
as a monument to the ability of its founder, as well as a visible proof of what he 
was able to accomplish in his chosen field of labor. 

The old " Reliance Works" at the time of Mr. Allis' death was incorporated 
under the laws of the State of Wisconsin and is now known as The Edward P. 
Allis Company, with a paid up capital stock of $1,500,000, which is owned entirely 
in his family and managed by his sons, — William W. Allis being president, Edward 
Phelps Allis, Jr., vice-president, and Charles Allis, secretary and treasurer. 

The buildings and grounds cover about seventeen acres and give employment 
to from 1,600 to 2,000 men, with an annual product of from four to five millions. 
The industry is the largest of its kind in the United States and has branch offices 
in New York city, Pittsburg, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, San Francisco, and 
the city of Mexico. The manufactured articles consist of Reynolds Corliss en- 
gines, pumping engines, blowing engines, hoisting engines, air compressors, gold, 
silver, copper and iron mining machinery, and complete sawing and flouring mill 
equipments. These works built the first roller-process flouring mill in America for 
the late C. C. W'ashburn, of Minneapolis, in the winter of 1877, and from that time 
have built and equipped the large flour mills of Minneapolis, Duluth, Superior, New 
York city, Chicago, Cleveland, Nashville, St. Louis, Milwaukee, San Francisco, 
Memphis, Toledo, Buffalo, Kansas City, Detroit and other important milling cen- 
ters, including among them the celebrated Pillsbury and Washburn mills, and have 
also equipped mills in Scotland, Ireland, Australia and the South American States. 
Their pumping engines for city water works are the largest and finest in the United 
States, and include those of Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Detroit, Boston, St. 
Paul, Omaha, Albany, Pittsburg, Allegheny, and many other important cities. The 
Reynolds Corliss engines will be found in the stations of the Brooklyn Heights 
Street Railway Company, of Brooklyn, New York; the West End Street Railway 
Company, Boston, Massachusetts; the People's Traction Company, Philadeli)hia; 
Narragansett Electric Light Company, Providence, Rhode Island; Edison Light 
& Power Company, San Francisco; Lynn Gas & Electric Company, Lynn, Massa- 
chusetts; Minnesota Brush Electric Company, Minneapolis; and in hundreds of 
other places. 

Their furnace-blowing engines will be found in every iron center of the country, 



392 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

including over twenty in the city of Pittsburg, and the mining machinery in the 
large copper and iron mines of the Tamarack Mining Company, Houghton, Michi- 
gan; Quincy Mining Company, Hancock, Michigan; Menominee Mining Company, 
Iron Mountain, Michigan; Boston & Montana Consolidated Mining Company, Butte, 
Montana; and hundreds of other important mines. 

This large industry, supporting from 7,000 to 10,000 individuals, and built up 
and managed by himself and his sons stands as a monument to his memory. 

To be the creator of a business so extensive and varied in its details, and so 
changeable because of continual improvements, requires ability of the highest 
order, coupled with tireless energy and ceaseless effort. 

Though keen in intellect and superb in executive ability, the humane side of 
his character is still more deserving of admiration and praise. While strikes, lock- 
outs and contentions have existed elsewhere, Mr. Allis' establishment went on year 
after year in full accord and harmony with its hundreds of laborers and mechanics. 
There is perhaps no manufacturing concern in the country that has had less trouble 
with its employes, for it was the policy of Mr. Allis at times to take work with little 
or no profit rather than lay off his help, and his kind, considerate treatment won 
the esteem, admiration and affection of every reasonable man in his service. He 
encouraged his men to save their earnings, and to improve their condition in every 
way possible, and years ago inaugurated the Allis Mutual Aid Society, for the ben- 
efit of any who should become sick, hurt or incapacitated, he giving an amount 
equal to the total amount given by the men. He was a public-spirited man, and 
was actively identified with the Association for the Advancement of Milwaukee ; 
he was a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and was much inter- 
ested in its affairs. 

In politics Mr. Allis was a Republican until the year 1877, when he became an 
ardent advocate of the principles of the Greenback party, and was by that party 
nominated for Governor of Wisconsin. Throwing his energy and strong person- 
ality into the canvass, he received a large vote and became a power in State politics. 
Mr. Allis was a man of broad culture, fine sensibilities and artistic tastes, — quali- 
ties that would have given him high standing in any profession or business. He 
was a close student of books, and found great pleasure in reading, being as familiar 
with the works of Huxley, Darwin, Tyndall, Spencer and all the great thinkers, as 
most men are with the ordinary events of the day as chronicled by the press. A 
lover of art, he acquired from time to time many choice paintings for the adornment 
of his beautiful home, and the taste displayed in their selection stamps him as hav- 
ing been a connoisseur. 

One of the most valuable paintings in the Layton Art Gallery, at Milwaukee, 
" The Wood Gatherer," by Bastien Le Page, was purchased by him, and after his 
death presented to the gallery by his wife and daughters as a memorial. He was a 
symmetrical man, closely approaching the ideal. Modest, unassuming, retiring, he 
was intimate with but few, cordial to all, and warm and sympathetic to friends and 
those in distress. His charity was always of a practical character, and unostenta- 
tiously bestowed. As an employer his example is worthy of emulation, for it would 
do more to settle the problems of capital and labor than organizations or statutes. 




^^//'"^'=.. 




KEPRESKNTATIVK MKN OK TllK UNITKI) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 395 

He was a Unitarian in his relij^ious belief, and a member of the First Unitarian 
Church of Milwaukee, and his eulogy was best expressed by a friend in these words: 
'■ Motlest, yet bold; tender, yet strong; mild, yet firm; unusually successful, in still 
greater measure useful, he was above all men 1 know beloved by the people. The 
world is better for his having lived." 

Mr. AUis' final illness was brief, and he peacefully passed away at his home in 
Milwaukee, on the first day of April, i88g, mourned by all who knew him, honored 
by all who love justice and integrity, and secure in a fame that is a part of the com- 
mercial history of our country. He is survived by his wife and family of eight sons 
and three daughters. The former, to whom he was married in 1848, was Miss Mar- 
garet M. Watson, of Geneva, New York. 

There was nothing sensational or speculative in Mr. Allis' career. Every step 
was thoughtfully and deliberately made, and every advance was at the cost of hard 
and self-denying labor. By continuous devotion to the highest demands of his busi- 
ness, by an ability that was equal to the most severe requirements, and an integrity 
that was never deflected from the true line (jf duty, he won his way into the front 
rank of a body of men who collectively were the ablest in the land. Endowed by 
nature with a sound judgment and an accurate, discriminating mind, he feared not 
that laborious attention to his duties so necessary to achieve success, and this essen- 
tial quality was guided by a sense of moral right, which would tolerate the employ- 
ment only of those means that would bear the most rigid examination, by a fairness 
of intention that neither sought nor required disguise. The mark left by him upon 
the city and State of his home will never be effaced, and his record will ever hold a 
prominent position in the history of Wisconsin's most honored citizens. 



JOHN PAUL, 

LA CROSSE. 

^^^IIII.E biograjjhy in all ages and climes has ever been an interesting study, it 
* T is of especial interest in this free America of ours, where a young man has 
nothing save his own will to bar him from a successful career. Many a youth from 
foreign shores has landed here without money or influential friends, and worked 
his way up to position of prominence and wealth. The life of John Paul furnishes 
a fitting illustration of this fact. He came to the United States a poor mechanic, 
and, as the result of his earnest efforts and his strong determination to win success, 
he stands to-day at the head of one of the most prosperous lumber industries of 
the North, and has earned for himself a high and honored position among the rep- 
resentative men of the State. 

He was born in Aberdeenshire, .Scotland, and inherits to a marked degree the 
sterling characteristics of his countrymen. The first nineteen years of his life were 
spent in his native land, where he received a fair education and partly learned the 
machinist's trade. The firm for whom he was working having failed, he went to 



396 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

London and in that great city remained a year and a lialf. Believing that America, 
with its free institutions and wonderful resources, afforded better opportunities for 
the ambitious young man to attain success in life than did the overcrowded marts 
of the old world, he set sail for the United States and in due time landed in New 
York. 

Upon his arrival in this country Mr. Paul worked at his trade in Albany and 
Buffalo, and from the latter city came west to Chicago. He later operated a saw- 
mill in Muskegon, Michigan, for a Chicago lumber company. 

In May, 1857, he arrived at La Crosse, Wisconsin. Here he at once engaged 
in the lumber business, and with this industry he has ever since been identified. 
From the time he located at La Crosse, he displayed business ability of a high or- 
der. He was young and ambitious and feared not that laborious devotion to his 
work that alone insures success. He worked steadily and faithfully in all the vari- 
ous branches of lumber manufacturing, and soon became master of the details of 
the business. He was frugal, and saved a large portion of his earnings. In i860 
he established what is now the John Paul Lumber Company, and by faithful atten- 
tion to his business, he has developed it into one of the largest lumber manufactur- 
ing establishments in the West. In 1890 the business was incorporated. 

Mr. Paul was happily married, in 1865, to Miss Abby Marie Smith, a native of 
Connecticut, and they have three sons and two daughters, the two elder sons being 
actively engaged in the lumber business with their father. 

Personally Mr. Paul is quiet and unostentatious. Large-hearted, generous and 
public-spirited to a fault, he is held in high esteem by all who know him. Both he 
and his estimable family move in the best circles of La Crosse. More might be 
said of the life of this worthy citizen, but enough has been given to serve as an 
index to his character and to denote the fact that he stands in the front rank of 
the self-made men of the country. 

Mr. Paul has in later years become identified with the La Crosse National 
Bank, in which he is a director, and in 1892 he was chosen president of that finan- 
cial institution, a position he has filled satisfactorily ever since. He brings to the 
position a large business experience of over a third of a century and conducts the 
affairs of the bank with the same care and fidelity he has bestowed upon his other 
business interests. 

Mr. Paul's business abilit}', his unostentatious manner, his generosity and be- 
nevolence, his conservatism and knowledge of men and things, have made him a 
powerful factor in promoting the higher and better interests of the community. His 
influence is not confined to local affairs, but as a member of the Reform Club, of 
of New York, he lends a potent infiuence toward the improvement of the world. 

To the energy of such men as John Paul is the prosperity of the Northwest 
due. Those who have laid broad and deep the foundations of the great North- 
western empire were in nearly every instance young men whose capital consisted of 
but little more than strong arms and willing hands, stout hearts and a determined 
spirit. In ages to come, when this and many future generations shall have passed 
away, when the woodman's ax shall no more be heard, and the plowshare shall 
overturn the soil which nurtured lordly pines, then, around the hearthstones, will 



KKTRESKNIAIIVI-: MKN OK THE UNITED STAIES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 397 

the grandsires tell of a hardy race of pioneers who came to the Northwest when, 
amidst almost impenetrable forests, they founded a prosperous and populous com- 
monwealth and established business enterprises that excited wonder and com- 
manded admiration. 

Mr. Paul is an illustrious type of the self-made man. He has through his abil- 
ity and labor climbed steadily upward and has established a business that has few 
equals in the State of Wisconsin. During his entire career he has conducted all 
his affairs in such a manner that he commands the respect of the entire community, 
and of him it can be truthfully stated "he has intentionally injured none, but has 
added to the happiness of many." 



RICHARD LEA, 

WAUI'ACA. 

TH E subject of this sketch is not only one of the most prominent business men of 
Waupaca county, but is also one of the earliest settlers in the Badger State. 
An luiglishman by birth, he was born January 15, 1827, on a farm near Stone, Staf- 
fordshire, England, and is a son of F"rancis Lea and his wife Hanna nee Hopkins. 
The early education of Mr. Lea was obtained in the common schools of his native 
county and was supplemented with a course in a private and select school. The 
family consisted of four boys who, though their father was at one time a man of 
some means, were obliged to make their way in life. America was to their minds 
the promised land, and as they had acquaintances living at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 
who had sent them glowing accounts of the wonderful country in which they lived, 
it was but natural that the inclination of the young and ambitious men should seek 
a like opportunity. In 185 1 they left England and after a long and tiresome, 
though by no means monotonous journey, they arrived in Oshkosh, — by the way of 
Xew \'ork to Buffalo, by lake to Sheboygan and across the country to the banks of 
Lake Winnebago. 

The day before leaving England, Mr. Lea had taken to himself a wife, who 
faithfully followed him into the wilderness. They had some means when leaving 
England, but very little experience or knowledge of pioneer life, and before suffi- 
cient knowledge had been gained their means were absorbed. The courage of the 
young couple never forsook them. The young husband first began buying and sell- 
ing live-stock, and later, in company with two brothers, embarked in dairy or milk 
business. Afterward Mr. Lea conducted a farm belonging to Mr. Lucas Miller, 
the ex-Congressman from Oshkosh, which, however, did not suit our subject, as his 
ambition was to own the farm he occupied. In 1854 Mr. Lea removed to Portage 
county, where he homesteaded some Government land, which he farmed until 1864. 

Northern Wisconsin at that time, was very sparsely settled. Deer, bear and 
other game roamed unmolested through the forest and prairie openings. Few of 
the present generation realize the difficulties that obstructed the path of the pio- 
neer. Mr. Lea, when in reminiscent mood can entertain listeners for hours with in- 
teresting anecdotes of the early days of the history of the State. To illustrate for 



398 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

future generations the conditions under which their forefathers laid the founda- 
tions, broad and deep, of the great Northwestern empire, a few incidents in the 
lives of the pioneers will be found distributed upon various pages in this volume, 
and those incorporated in this biography will illustrate in a somewhat imperfect way 
the lives of the early settlers. At one time Mr. Lea, who was then a very poor 
man, had accumulated a quantity of deer skins, which he carried on his back to 
Waupaca, twelve miles distant, where he disposed of them, and purchased necessary 
provisions. Having proceeded quite a distance upon his return journey he recollected 
that he had promised a neighbor to inquire for mail at Waupaca, then the nearest 
postoffice. So, as not to disappoint his neighbor, he determined to return to the 
postofflce, and placed his groceries under a large tree, and walked back to the vil- 
lage. Having obtained his neighbor's mail, he again started for home, and upon 
reaching the spot where he had left his provisions, he discovered a drove of hogs 
devouring them. After driving them off he found that they had completely ruined 
what they had not devoured. He was thus deprived of articles almost of absolute 
necessity and being without money he was unable to replace his loss, and was forced 
to return home to his wife, who was on the eve of illness, and to inform her of the sad 
state of affairs. Altough Mr. Lea has since then became interested in many im- 
portant enterprises, some of which have resulted in loss, he has never in his life felt 
any loss as keenly as he did the destruction of the provisions. At another time 
during the following year, while plowing in his field, his plowshare was broken. 
Being anxious to have his oxen take a rest he shouldered the plowshare, which 
weighed about forty pounds, and carried it to a blacksmith shop some six miles dis- 
tant. Upon his arrival he found the blacksmith without coal and consequently he 
was unable to do the work. He then proceeded to Waupaca and having no money 
was compelled to ask for credit of Silverthorn, who then conducted a blacksmith 
shop there. Mr. Silverthorn agreed to do the work, but informed him that several 
other jobs would have to be completed before he began his. Mr. Lea waited all 
afternoon and while Silverthorn went to supper, and about eight o'clock at night 
was able to start upon his return with the plowshare mended. He had eaten no 
food since breakfast and was nearly famished. After proceeding about four miles 
he passed the house of an acquaintance and arousing him from his slumber re- 
quested food. He was furnished with milk and bread and butter and enjoyed a deli- 
cious banquet. Having satisfied his hunger he proceeded onward and about day- 
break sat down to rest for a few minutes and in that position fell sound asleep. 
The sun had risen when he awakened and continuing his journey he reached home, 
and without resting placed the plowshare in his plow and began his days' work in 
the field. 

In 1864 Mr. Lea sold his land and moved to Waupaca, where he invested his 
money in Main street property. He also opened and conducted a general store, 
which was very successful and is still in existence and is being conducted by his 
eldest son, H. M. Lea. Mr. Lea has not limited his business to retail trade, but he 
has also conducted a warehouse business of considerable proportions, buying and 
selling grain and produce. In later years he has partially retired from active busi- 
ness, though he still attends to his private investments. 



'•'ire 



~i^v. 





RKTRESKNTATIVE MKN OK TIIK UNITKI) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 39Q 



In i8qi, when the Waupaca County National Bank was organized, Mr. Lea 
became a stockholder andone of its directors. During 1893 the bank undertook to 
erect a handsome structure, intended for its future home. Then the stringency in 
the money market occurred, and the bank found itself partially unable to carry out 
its plans. Mr. Lea, then a director, came to the rescue and took the responsibility 
off the bank, and at his own expense constructed the building. The structure is 
the most notable building in Waupaca and occupies one of the most i)n)niinfnt cor- 
ners. It is beautiful in its architecture, and a credit to the city. 

The marked success in life which Mr. Lea has attained is entirely of his own 
creating. By frugality, honesty, and intlomitable industry he has accumulated a 
fortune and has become one of the prominent men of northern Wisconsin. He is 
liked by all who meet him and thoroughly merits the esteem in which he is held, 

Politically Mr. Lea af^liates with the Democratic party. He is in no sense a 
politician nor a seeker for political office. An idea of his personal popularity may 
be guaged by the fact, that although Waupaca is a Republican stronghold, it elected 
him Mayor in 1886. The following year the people demanded that he should re- 
tain the office, but as he intended making a trip to Europe, he declined the honor. 

In addition to Mr. Lea's Wisconsin interests he is also financially interested in 
Tacoma, Washington. He has been married twice, the first time to Miss Annie 
Minors, a lady of his own nativity, born near Staffordshire. Four children are the 
result of this union. H. M. and A. R. Lea are both prominent business men of 
Waupaca. Lizzie is married to W. E. Bronson, the manager of the St. Paul and 
Tacoma Lumber Company, of Tacoma, Washington, and Annie the wife of Charles 
Hoffman, of Waupaca. 

During the year 1871, Mr. and Mrs. Lea traveled in Europe and upon their 
return to America, Mrs. Lea became ill and her sickness resulted fatally the same 
year. 

On October 6, 1873, Mr. Lea married Miss Sarah E. Brooks, of Waushora 
county, Wisconsin. They are the parents of two children, both sons, — Charles 
Winthrop and William Francis. 



GILBERT WIIHKLER ROE, 

OSIIKOSII. 

''1^1 IE true business man is scrupulously just and upright in all his transactions 
L and dealings. Integrity, good faith, e.xactness in fullilling his engagements are 
prominent and distinctive features of his character. He is a high-minded and 
honorable man. He feels a stain upon his good name like a wound, and regards 
with abhorrence everything that wears the appearance of meanness and duplicity. 
Accordingly his word is as good as his bond. He stands to his bargains and is faith- 
ful to his contract. Our true business man feels that he owes duties not only to his 
immediate relatives and personal friends, but also to the community in which he 
lives. He is deeply interested in everything that tends to reflect credit on the city 



400 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

of his home, and feels bound to contribute his share to the establishment and sup- 
port of all good enterprises. He is led to this by the liberalizing spirit of his call- 
ing. Commercial and financial pursuits enlarge the mind and banish narrow and 
selfish feelings. The wealth which he has acquired he is disposed to expend freely 
and munificently. Wherever you go you may perceive traces of his footsteps in all 
that is elegant and liberal. 

The portrait which we have attempted to delineate is not a fanciful sketch, but 
is a transcript from nature and reality. The industrial solidity of Oshkosh is cen- 
tered in her banks, and to these able institutions is attributable the facility with 
which she has weathered the various commercial storms that have swept over this 
country. Foremost among the able bankers of Oshkosh stands the man whose 
name initiates this sketch. 

William Wheeler Roe was born in the village of Warwick, Orange county, 
New York, the son of Joseph and Harriet (Wheeler) Roe. In the village men- 
tioned his father was engaged in the mercantile business, and there our subject 
attended the common schools and supplemented the instruction thus gained by at- 
tending for a few months the Warwick Academy, and in connection with a class of 
young men attended a high school which was maintained under the direction of 
Professor John K. Joline, continuing his studies in this connection for a period of 
two years. Subsequently, while engaged in mercantile business, as noted later on, 
there was maintained in his store a public library comprising 500 volumes, and from 
this source he was enabled to gain much valuable instruction and to conserve that 
broad intellectual grasp which is so distinctively his. Upon leaving school Mr. Roe 
was engaged as a clerk in his father's store, but soon after started a store of his 
own in the same line, at Edenville, New York. This business he conducted with 
marked success for three years, but long hours and the enforced close confinement 
necessitated a change, and when he was offered the position of teller in the Chester 
Bank, of Chester, New York, he accepted and filled the position for five or six 
years. Wishing to change the limited opportunities of the East for the broad fields 
of labor of the then unsettled West, he removed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and 
founded the firm of Reeve & Roe, private bankers, with banking rooms on East 
Water street. This enterprise terminated successfully in 1858, having withstood 
the panic which swept over the country in 1857. In November, 1858, Messrs. Reeve 
and Roe purchased the Commercial Bank of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, whither they/e- 
mpved the same year, taking charge of the financial institution mentioned, which 
they have since conducted in turn as a private bank, a national bank and State 
bank, and under the name which it bore at the time of the purchase, except for the 
period when it was run as a national bank, when it was chartered as the Commercial 
National Bank of Oshkosh. The present charter of the bank is dated September 
I, 1880. Mr. Roe has served for twenty-two years as cashier of the bank, was for 
twelve years vice-president, and is now serving his second year as president, — 
making a continuous banking experience of more than forty-two years, which in- 
cludes the time he served as teller for the bank in Chester, New York. 

During these many years in which Mr. Roe has served as a bank official he has 
passed through extremely critical times in the financial history of the country, but 









'^h. 



"'Cx?/'^^ 





REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSTN VOLUME. 4OI 



has always paid dollar for dollar on all liabilities and has never defaulted a single 
payment when due. As a financier his career has been characterized by a strong 
and comprehensive knowledge of public needs and a clear recognition of public 
sentiment, as well as by industry and a capacity for work which has never flagged 
through a period embracing nearly half a century. Besides his investments in his 
l)ank Mr. Roe owns extensive tracts of pine and hardwood timber lands and farm 
lands in the States of Arkansas, Georgia and Wisconsin, and is at the present time 
the vice-president of the Oshkosh Log & Lumber Company, which owns nearly 
200,000,000 feet of standing timber on the upjier peninsula of Michigan. 

Politically Mr. Roe affiliates with the Republicans, having supported the men 
and measures of that party since its organization, previous to which time he was a 
Whig. He is in no wise a politician, but in the issues of the day takes an active in- 
terest, which he considers the highest duty of a loyal citizen. He has never sought 
political preferment, but when twenty-one years of age was elected and served as 
Town Collector of his native town, which position he creditably filled. 

Mr. Roe was married in 1858 to Miss Elizabeth C. Clark, of Orange county. New 
\'()rk, daughter of Judge Hulet and Emeline (Greenleaf) Clark. Two children 
blessed this union: William Joseph, who is living in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Eliza- 
beth Wheeler, now the wife of Dr. Arthur J. Burgess, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

Mr. Roe is an attendant at the services of the First Congregational Church of 
Oshkosh. He is very fond of instructive travel, and has, in company with his fam- 
ily, visited many points of interest in this country. They also spent thirteen months 
in visiting England, central and southern Europe, Morocco, Turkey and Asia. In 
this way he has gained a wide and useful knowledge of the world, its inhabitants 
and their customs, and is interesting in conversations touching upon these subjects. 

Mr. Roe is far too much engrossed in his business duties to give much time to 
the social world. He is a thorough business man, and all through his business 
career has been prompt antl careful in keeping his engagements, and he expects 
the same consideration from others. He gives a ready hearing to all who desire to 
see him, and disposes of the matters which come before him quietly and quickly. 
Not a few of those associated with him testify to his kindness of heart, his sincere 
friendship, his wise and unselfish counsel and his unostentatious charity. Equipped 
with a strong will, he is well qualified for almost any station in life, and the citizens 
of Oshkosh have every reason to be proud of him, for he has always labored for 
the interests of the commiuiity as a public-spirited and progressive man. 



HON. FRANK POOLER, 

ONAI.ASKA. 

Ir^RANK POOLER comes of a family of I'rench origin. His paternal and ma- 
ternal grandparents emigrated from France to Canada, where both George 
Pooler and Harriet Rogers, the parents of our subject, were born, reared and mar- 
ried. They afterward came to the United States, settling at what was then called 
Benton, a small village in Kennebec county, Maine, where occurred the birth of 
Irank Pooler, on the 23d of October, 1847. His educational privileges were those 



402 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF TIIF 

afforded by the common schools of his native village, and his youth, up to his 
eighteenth year, was passed in the usual manner of the average American boy at 
that time. 

In 1865 he determined to leave the Pine Tree State and seek his fortune in the 
then far West. He accordingly bade farewell to his family and the companions of 
his boyhood, and started for the pine woods of Wisconsin. On arriving in this State 
he proceeded to the logging region on the Black river, where he secured employ- 
ment as a day laborer. In this way he worked for several years, and so valuable 
were his services that in 1869 he was receiving $1,000 a year, out of which he saved 
enough to enable him, in 1871, to embark in business for himself. This he did, be- 
coming a member of the firm of C. M. Nichols & Company, of Onalaska, the com- 
pany consisting of Mr. Pooler and C. H. and F. E. Nichols, sons of Charles M. 
Nichols, the firm name afterward being changed to C. H. Nichols & Company. 
They began operations on a small scale, as their capital was limited, but prosperity 
came and brought to them the comforts of life. In 1886 the firm of C. H. Nichols 
& Company was incorporated as the C. H. Nichols Lumber Company, of which 
Mr. Pooler became treasurer. In 1891 the death of C. H. Nichols occurred, and 
Mr. Pooler succeeded to the presidency of the company, which office he still fills, 
much of the success of the company being due to his able administration of affairs. 
He has a most able coadjutor in the person of J. E. North, secretary and treasurer 
of the company, who has been associated with him in business for the long period 
of twenty consecutive years. He is a most valuable official, a good manager, and 
has full charge of the office work of the establishment. 

The C. H. Nichols Lumber Company, though not of so great magnitude as 
some in the State, is yet one of the most solid of the many lumber concerns in Wis- 
consin. It cut in 1893 16,000,000 feet of lumber, and the products of the mill are 
shipped not only to various places in Wisconsin, but also to the States of Iowa, 
Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. They continued busi- 
ness throughout the entire season of 1893, a^nd, notwithstanding the financial strin- 
gency prevalent throughout the country, they not only ran full time but paid the 
full rate of wages, cutting no one's salary and never missing a pay-day, for Mr. 
Pooler does not believe in making the working man stand the results of a dull sea- 
son, but believes it to be the manufacturer's interest to pay good men good wages 
at all times. This policy has been an important factor in the success of the com- 
pany, as it has secured expert employes, and, in consequence, the product of the mill 
can compete with any lumber on the market. The prosperity of the concern has 
been long continued, and its reputation is second to none. 

Mr. Pooler is a member of several secret orders, including the Wisconsin Con- 
sistory, of Milwaukee; Tripoli Temple, of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; 
La Crosse Commandery, No. 9, Knights Templar; Smith Chapter, R. A. M.; and 
Onalaska Lodge, No. 24, A. F. & A. M. In his political views he is Republican and 
has always been, and the interests of the party receive his unwavering support. For 
.en years he was a member of the County Board of Supervisors, and served as chair- 
man of the board for two years. For four years he was Treasurer of the town of 
Onalaska, and in 1881 was elected liy his party to the State Legislature, where he 




^/t^uc 



'IM^. 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF PllE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 4O3 

ably represented his district with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constitu- 
ents. He then received a unanimous nomination for a second term, but declined 
the honor, not carinjj^ for political preferment, lie has traveled e.xtensively in this 
country, especially in all the region east of Denver. 

On the 6th of January, 1870, Mr. Pooler was united in marriage to Miss Frances 
Cornelia Nichols, daughter of C. M. Nichols, and of this union have been born four 
children: Blanche N., Clarence E., Don Cameron and X'ance Beatrice. Both he 
and his family are members of the Episcopal Church, and the house of worship in 
Onalaska was erected by the Nichols Lumber Company. 

Mr. Pooler is president of the Street Railroad Company, whose line runs be- 
tween Onalaska and La Crosse; a director in the Black River Improvement Com- 
l)any, and in the East Fork Improvement & Driving Company. As a business man 
his ability is unquestioned and his honor is above reproach. lie has at his home 
an extensive library, which is a source of great enjoyment to him. While his school 
education was necessarily limited, he has, by careful reading and a judicious selec- 
tion of subjects, informed himself most thoroughly and keeps fully posted on all 
events of moment and contemporaneous interest. 



MILLS TOURTELLOTTE, 

LA CROSSE. 

MR. TOURTELLOTTE is distinctly American, as were his ancestors, l)oth lin- 
eal and collateral, for generations. The progenitor of the family in this 
country emigrated from France, in the year 1660, and settled in Rhode Island. The 
family, as it increased in numbers, spread over various sections of Connecticut and 
Massachusetts. In the latter .State, in the town of Holyoke, on the 3Lst day of Au- 
gust, 1853, he whose name heads this biography was born. His parents were both 
natives of Connecticut. When our subject was about two years of age they moved 
to La Crosse county, Wisconsin, where they purchased a considerable tract of land 
just outside of the present village of West .Salem, upon which they resided for a 
numl)er of years. 

The father of our subject was associated with Thomas Leonard, who was the 
fountler of West Salem. Colonel J. E. Tourtellotte, an uncle of our subject, was on 
General .Sherman's staff until the latter was retired. Colonel Tourtellotte died July 
22, 1891, and is interred in the National Cemetery, at Arlington, Virginia. 

.Mills Tourtellotte was educated at the University of Wisconsin, and was grad- 
uated in the law class of 1875. In June of the same year he was admitted to the 
bar, at Madison, Wisconsin, and moved to the city of La Crosse, where he further 
prosecuted his studies in the law offices of B. F. Bryant and Lyndes & Burroughs 
until August I, 1876, when the copartnership of Howe & Tourtellotte was formed, 
and Mills Tourtellotte entered upon the active practice of the law. Since then he 
has pursued his professional career at the bar in La Crosse. Asa lawyer Mr. Tour- 
tellotte has been successful. He has commanded the esteem of the men who con- 



404 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 

trol large industries centered at La Crosse, and his clientage is composed of the 
most substantial citizens. His name rarely appears upon any court calender, and 
he rarely appears as a pleader at the bar, but acts as consulting counsel to several 
of the most important local corporations, and is confined almost exclusively to "of- 
fice practice." 

Mr. Tourtellotte, as the proprietor of the Tourtellotte stock and dairy farm at 
Middle Ridge, La Crosse county, takes a deep interest in pastoral pursuits. His 
farm is one of the largest in the county, embracing 500 acres, and is complete in all 
its appointments, including creamery and other departments. Thoroughbred Hol- 
stein cattle and Poland China swine are there bred and reared. 

Politically Mr. Tourtellotte is a firm advocate of Republican principles, and 
takes a deep interest in the campaigns of that party. He is in no sense a politician 
nor an office-seeker, but does his utmost to aid the party in its battles. He is do- 
mestic in his tastes and loves his home above all else. He was married in 1878 to 
Miss Lillie Woodbury, of Boston, Massachusetts. Four children, Lillie W., Au- 
gustus M., Wallace L. and Nathaniel M., have been born to them. Mrs. Tourte- 
llotte is the only child of the late Captain W. W. Woodbury, of Boston, Massachu- 
setts. He served in the civil war, and died Novemberi5, 1891, aged sixty-two years. 

Mr. and Mrs. Tourtellotte are attendants of the Episcopal church. Mr. Tour- 
tellotte is a member of the Knights of Pythias. He has been through all the chairs 
in the local lodge and has been a representative to the Grand Lodge one year, He is 
also a member of the Royal Arcanum and has passed all the chairs in the local lodge. 



THOMAS W. SPENCE, 

MILWAUKEE. 

THOMAS WILSON SPENCE was born in Dungannon, Ireland, in Septem- 
ber, 1846, being a son of Andrew and Eliza (McKell) Spence. In 1848 his 
parents emigrated to the United States, locating in Chillicothe, Ohio, where the 
father of our subject entered busijiess as a merchant. 

Thomas obtained his early education in the common schools in Chillicothe; 
prepared for college at the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Deleware, and entered 
Cornell University in 1867, taking the classical course. He was graduated with 
honor in 1870, being the valedictorian of his class, and receiving the degree of 
Bachelor of Arts. Leaving college he located in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, whither 
his father had moved some years previous. He began the study of law in the office 
of Coleman & Thorpe, and in 1872 was admitted to the bar. He then entered upon 
the practice of his profession in Fond du Lac, and from the outset was successful. 

In 1875 he formed a partnership with James Coleman, under the style of Cole- 
man & Spence, which association was dissolved in 1880, when Mr. Coleman became 
a partner of the late Senator Matthew H. Carpenter, in Washington. Then Mr. 
Spence became an associate of J. W. Hiner, establishing the firm of Spence & Hiner, 
which continued in successful practice vmtil 1884, when Mr. Spence removed to Ra- 
cine, Wisconsin, and became a partner of Mr. J. V. Quarles, under the firm name of 




^\X),v^ra^v^ 




.'? 






Ki;rKKSi:NTAII\K MEN OK TlIK UMTEl) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 4O5 

Quarles & Spence. In 1888 the firm moved to Milwaukee and Mr. Charles Quarles 
was admitted to the partnership; the firm then becoming Quarles, Spence & Ouarles. 
The firm has been engaged in much of the important litigation of the State, i)ar- 
ticularly in Supreme Court cases. 

Politically Mr. Spence is a Republican, and has actively participated in all the 
political campaigns of Wisconsin since he has been a resident of the State. 1 le is 
in no sense a politician, never seeking official preferment, — but uses his voice and 
influence to assure success to his party at the i)olls. lie represented Fond du Lac 
in the (ieneral Assembly in 1877 and in 1879. He was Postmaster of Fond du Lac 
from 187910 1884. In 1884 he was chairman of the Republican State convention. 

Mr. Spence was married in 1874 to Maria Cornelia Tallmadge and they have 
one son, Thomas H. Mrs. Spence is of illustrious ancestr}-. Her great-grandfather 
was General Benjamin Tallmadge, of Revolutionary fame, who ca|jtured Major 
Andre, and commanded at his execution; her great-great-grandfather was William 
1 lenry Floyd, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. 

Mr. and Mrs. Spence are members and communicants of the Protestant Epis- 
copal Church. They have traveled extensively over the United States and Europe. 
Mr. Spence is a lover of literature, and has gathered a well selected library; he is a 
great reader, and much of his spare time is spent among his books. 

Mr. Spence's career is illustrative of the fact that hard and earnest work will 
assure success. He has labored earnestly and indefatigably to reach a high posi- 
tion in his profession, and that he has succeeded is due to this constant labor and 
energy. 

WILLIAM CARSON. 

EAU CLAIRE. 

^A r ' '-' -'^^^' CARSON was Ijorn in Inverness, Lower Canada, in 1825. His 
▼ T i^arents, William and Elizabeth (Robinson) Carson, were of Scotch ances- 
try, and the subject of this sketch has throughout his career displayed the strong 
personality and sturdy vigor of the progressive race. In 1836, before he was twelve 
years of age, he was thrown upon his own resources and forced to earn his liveli- 
hood by his own labor. He came to the United States, stopping at Cambridge, 
.Massachusetts, where he remained for a year. Believing that the West offered 
more advantageous opportunities for a successful career, he determined to seek his 
fortune there. In 1837 he arrived in southern Illinois, and after a short time moved 
to St. Louis, Missouri, where he worked during the winter. Being young, daring 
and ambitious, he determined to venture into the lumber regions of the Northwest, 
and in 1838 set his foot for the first time upon the Wisconsin soil. He obtained 
employment in the timber where Badger Mills is now located, and though but a boy 
did a man's work and earned good wages. Wisconsin Territory at that time was 
but little more than an unex[)lored wilderness and between the spot where he was 
located and Prairie du Chien, on the Mississippi river, not a dwelling-house had 
been erected. During the first year of his residence in W'isconsin Mr. Carson made 
claim to the ground upon which North Eau Claire is now built. He sokl this claim 



406 niOGRAl'lllCAl. DICTIONARY AND PORIKAIT GALLERY OF TlfK 

the following year. He worked at various kinds of labor in the lumber line, but 
being desirous of bettering his condition he saved his money and was soon enabled 
to transact some business in a small way on his own account. 1 Ic spent one sum- 
mer in DubiKiuc, Iowa, and in 1840 located in Eau (iailc, where, in association with 
Henry E^iton, he purchased an interest in the sawmill of (ieorge C. Wales, and 
formed the firm of Wales, Carson & Eaton. This mill cut about 10,000 feet per 
day, — a large mill at that time. Mr. Wales disposed of his interest later to Messrs. 
Carson & Eaton, and the business was by them continued for several years. Then 
E. D. Rand was admitted into partnership, and later Mr. Eaton's interest was pur- 
chased by his partners and the firm of Carson & Rand operated the mill until 1874, 
when timber became so scarce that it was deemed unprofitable to continue. How- 
ever, they still conduct a flouring mill and store at Eau Galle. In 1874 Mr. Carson 
moved to Eau Claire, and he and Mr. Rand purchased a large interest in the Val- 
ley Lumber Company, of which he was elected president and treasurer,- positions 
he has held continuously since. Mr. Carson has invested capital in many success- 
ful industries, and as a man of business he has always displayed a degree of enter- 
prise that assured success to any undertaking to which he became actively devoted. 
He holds large interests in the Rand Lumber Company and the Burlington Lum- 
ber Company, both of Burlington, Iowa, and the Carson-Rand Company, of Keo- 
kuk, Iowa. He is also financially interested in the several lumber establishments 
in the State of Wisconsin. He is a stockholder, director and vice-president of the 
Eau Claire National Bank, but to the Valley Lumber Company he devotes most of 
his time jhid attention. He has successfully and profitably conducted this large es- 
tablishment for nearly twenty years, and its continued prosperity is a worthy testi- 
monial to his business ability. An idea of the magnitude of the business may be 
understood from the fact that nearly 30,000,000 feet of lumber is cut annually. 

Mr. Carson is in no sense a politician, and has never desired political prefer- 
ment. He is affiliated with the Democratic party and uses his influence in behalf of 
good government. 

In 1847, in Prairie du Chien, our sul)ject married Mary Edmonds Smith, a 
native of Vermont, who in childhood accomijanied her parents to Illinois, and thus 
became a pioneer in that State. Mrs. Carson died in 1887, survived by six children, 
five daughters and one son: Jessie Virginia, wife of James Mclntyre, of Eau Claire; 
Mary Carson; Isabelle, now Mrs. Robert 1 lager, of St. Paul; Kate, now Mrs. T. K. 
Long; William, Jr., of Burlington, Iowa; antl banny Wright, now Mrs. William 
Lockwood, of Eau Claire. 

Mr. Carson is domestic in his tastes and habits. He has traveled quite exten- 
sively throughout the United States and Canada, but in the circle of his home he 
finds the truest happiness and is most contented. The career of Mr. Carson proves 
most forcibly that neither wealth nor social position nor the assistance of influential 
friends at the outset is at all necessary to place a man possessing the necessary qual- 
ifications, such as integrity, ambition, perseverance and indomitable energy, upon 
the road to wealth and position. A career such as his should be a lesson to the 
young, and should teach young men just entering life that energy, perseverance and 
integrity, combined with practical economy, will reward those who are deserving. 




■/^uj-tiJuj^ / /z^^^ 



p 



RKl'RKSKXlAriVl': MKN OF IIIK L'MTKI) STAIKS; WISCONSIN VOI.IM K. 409 



EDWARD WKST, 



EDWARD WEST was born in Perry county, Pennsylvania, March 20, 
iSiS. His parents, Willi, iin aiui Susannah {iice Loy,) West, were both 
natives of Pennsylvania. His father was a farmer and surveyor, and until his 
fourteenth year Edward resided at home on the farm, early in life assisting' in 
such. labor as his age and strength would permit. In 1832 he was sent to the 
Washington (Pennsylvania) College, and for three years pursued his studies in 
that institution. Leaving college when about eighteen years old he journeyed 
alone westward, arriving in Detroit on the loth of April, 1836. 

There Mr. West was informed that vessels could not pass through the straits 
of Mackinac for several days, owing to the prevalence of ice. Being impatient 
and anxious to make his way to Milwaukee as rapidly as possible, he decided to 
make his way overland ti) Lake Michigan, and after making arrangements with 
the captain of a schooner to carry his trunk, as soon as the straits were clear of 
ice, he started on foot across what is now the State of Michigan. The distance to 
St. Joseph as he traveled it was about 200 miles. The journey was made in five 
and a half days. He found the road fairly good the first day after leaving Detroit, 
and the country fairly well settled. Thereafter, he found few inhabitants, and the 
road — a simple track through the woods — was difficult to travel. 

The third day was one of unpleasant experience. The country was low and 
swampy and contained but few inhabitants, who resided in widely separated log 
cabins. When night came the hungry and tired traveler applied at a small cabin 
for permission to stop over night. He was told that there was sickness in the 
family and it would not be convenient to accommodate him, but as there was no 
other place for (juite a long distance, he was kindly offered a bed on the floor 
which was accepted. 

The woman of the house said her husband was very sick. Mr. West, upon 
making inquiries about the sanitary condition of the country, was told that the 
family had not lived there long, but that they thought it healthy after people lived 
there long enough, "but they must take a seasoning." He was informed before 
morning that the woman's husband was dead. Mr. West concluded that this 
seasoning process was too much for him. 

Next morning he left the house of gloom as soon as he could, intending to 
have breakfast further on, at a more seasonable time and with better appetite. 
Unfortunately when he became very hungry he was far beyond the sparse settle- 
ment which he had left. On and on he traveled through the woods, expecting 
every step would bring him in sight of a clearing and a cabin, but none were seen 
until about five o'clock in the evening when a cleared patch and a small cabin were 
reached. There was no person in sight outside or inside. The door was not fas- 



410 lilOGRAI'IIlCAI. DICTIONARV AND roRTRAIT CALLKRV OF THE 

tened and he walked in. A table stood in about the center of the one-room cabin 
with dinner dishes left as if two persons had risen from it after dinner and gone 
out into the woods. There was no food left except two large potatoes with their 
jackets on. They looked good and tempting to the hungry young man, who had 
traveled twenty-four hours without food. He wanted the potatoes very much, and 
stepped outside and called at the top of his voice, but obtained no response. He 
could not think of leaving without the precious food, and returning to the cabin, 
took a potato in each hand and departed on his journey, but for some reason 
glanced over his shoulder until his quick steps carried him out of sight. 

The day after leaving "Potato Hall," as Mr. West named the cabin which he 
had left, he reached St. Joseph, on the beach of Lake Michigan. There he found 
a settlement of a few houses, probably a half dozen in number, and the beach was 
higher than the houses. 

Michigan Territory at that time embraced what is now the States of Michigan, 
Wisconsin, Iowa and the greater part of Minnesota. Most of the territory west 
of Lake Michigan was only partially surveyed, and, although the land had been 
ceded to the Government bj- the Indians, the treaty provided that until the sur- 
veys were completed and the lands brought into market the Indians could remain 
upon the lands. Therefore, upon his arrival in Mil-wauk-kee, as the Indians pro- 
nounced the name, the young man found the major portion of the inhabitants 
consisted of tribes of aborigines; in fact there were estimated to be over one hun- 
dred Indians to each Caucasian. It was not until some four or five years later 
that the surveys were finished and the lands brought into market, and during 
those years the greater portion of the population of Milwaukee and surrounding 
country was composed of Winnebago, Chippewa, Menominee and Pottawatomie 
Indians. 

Upon the arrival in the night at the mouth of the Milwaukee river of the 
schooner upon which he had embarked at St. Joseph, Michigan, Mr. West hired 
an Indian to "canoe" him up the river to the little village, which at that time con- 
tained but one tavern, a story-and-a-half building, conducted by a man named 
Childs. Being hungry he asked for supper, but was informed that the coob had 
retired and therefore no food could be served him. He then inquired for a bed, 
but was also told that he could have none as all were occupied. He was then 
furnished with a shake-down on the floor and retiredto rest. He had hardly set- 
tled on his blanket when several men who had been in the timber, with which the 
entire section was covered, entered the room. He overheard their conversation 
and learned that they were engaged in making claims to the unpre-empted lands. 
Being very anxious to make a start as soon as possible and being almost destitute 
(his entire capital consisting of $3), he determined, if possible, to join these men in 
their enterprise, and early the following morning started out with them for the 
woods. On the way out they expressed regret that the land was unsurvcyed, as it 
was impt)ssible to exactly locate their claims. He remarked that he had a large 



KKI'RKSKMATIVK WV.S ( >K IIIK UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 4II 

chest of clothing and a surveyor's outfit coming by the lakes as soon as the ice in 
the straits would break up, and as soon as tools were brought he would run out 
lines. The leader of the companv turned around and, looking the boy over, in a 
tone of the utmost contempt, said, "You survey it!" However, he did survey it. 
Although Mr. W'cst realized the situation, — that he was in straightened circum- 
stances, he did not think it a sin or disgrace to be poor, but found it to be very in- 
convenient about making change. 

He continued surveying the entire summer of 1836, enduring all the hard- 
ships that were the natural sequences of wandering in a new and untraveled coun- 
try. Mr. West's compensation was his regular $5 per day, and very thankfully 
received. He also located a claim for himself four miles from Milwaukee, and 
erected a log cabin upon it. 

Mr. West was his own carpenter. His nearest Indian neighbors kindly helped 
him carry the logs from the woods, and roll up the timber after he had cut it. 
They also helped roll the short timber on the body of the cabin after it was raised, 
cobbing up the gable ends; also cobbing up the long light timber on which the 
shack roof had its foundation. A shack roof is made of nice black oak timber, 
cut three feet long, rived out with a common frow, and then laid on timbers or 
heavy poles, built up with the log cobbing of the gable ends. 

The kindly Indians helped him to carry and lift up the long heavy weight 
poles for holding the shacks in place. The roof was built without a nail. 

Mr. West made a puncheon floor of nice sound and straight basswood trees, 
ranging from twelve to sixteen inches in diameter, cut the desired length and split 
through the center and laid flat side up. His friend, Chief Menominee, called together 
enough able-bodied Indians to go through" the woods and pick up the split bass- 
wood and carry it to the cabin floor. His Indian neighbors had at three or four 
rimes rendered material aid in such work as Mr. West could not do alone. His 
nearest white neighbor was four miles distant. It is true Indian labor is inexperi- 
enced and consequently somewhat awkward, but the assistance rendered by them 
was thankfully received. As a reward for their assistance, Mr. West purchased a 
barrel of flour and placed it in the hands of his friend, Menominee, to be divided 
e(]ually among the families of those Indians who had assisted him. 

He built his chimney on the outside and lined it with mortar made of clay 
and chopped wild grass mixed with the mortar. He made hi? own furniture, — a 
bedstead and table hewn out of rough timber. His bedding consisted of wild hay 
covered with blankets. He kept bachelor's hall and began to till the soil of his 
claim; also fenced seven acres, cutting the rails and poles and carrying them on 
his back from all over the clearing to fence out Indian ponies, — for they were com- 
moners, and owned by the neighboring tribes. 

He was surounded on all sides by Indian neighbors and soon learned to un- 
derstand and speak the language of the four tribes, namely, the Winnebagoes, 
Chippewas, Pottawatomies and Menominees; and was treated in a most friendly 



412 



r.iiiCKAniu ,\i i)i( rii>\AKV anh i'iikikaii' caij.I'.kn lU' riiiv 



ni.iinici li\' the wild men, wlioin lie ;il\v:i\s foiiiid pciccahly (lisjioscd unless under 
the iiilliiciiic <il •■liic w'.ilci," I \r del crin nic( 1 In |il,inl sonic |)(it;iU)cs in his lield; 
|)iir(h.iscd .111(1 slii|>|icd ciioii'di ^.(■(•d 1 1 1 in ( 'Icscl.i nd, ( >ln(), ^^ prv I)uslicl, to |)l;int 
ahoni one ci^hlli of an .\c\r, <,iri\inL; llicin on llic lia( k of his liuhaii |ion\', with 
pack sa(hllc, irom M ilwankcc to his home. When he had linislicd pkintini; he leccived 
.1 liieiidK c.ill lioiii "Meiioniinee, " ( hiel ol the Menominee tiihe, and w.is invited 
to K ( (ini|),iii\- him on .i hiinliii',; e\|)e(htion. Imitinj; the i hiel to (hue witli linn, 
he |iie|>.ired .1 me.il lioni hisstoic ol provisions .ind, se.ited at the louf^h lai)le, they 
ale heaitih'. lie h.id .some le.i, ihe first th.it theehu'l h.id e\ci lasted, and heaf 
tei wai d i)e( ,ime vel \ lolldol the hevel.i'^e. (poll Ills retnill Irolll the luinl he 
discovered to his disin.i\ th.it the Indi.ins diniiii; his ahseiice li.id dni; np his seed 
potatoes ,ind (.iiiied them .i\\.i\. Meiioinmec w.is \rv\ ani;iy and wonld liave in 
llicted se\ ere piiii isli men t npoii the ;;nill\ persons it he conid h.ivc discox'cred who 
lhe\ were. 

I III mi;;! ,1 1 ion to Wisconsin w.is eomp.n.itiv el\' spe.ikui;; (pule l.n'm', and liie 
vill.i'M- ol Milw.iiikce ^lew (piite i.ipidU ill popiil.it loll. 1 lie oiiK' schools in the 
reiiiloiN lip to the lallol iS',^ wcic i>.iro( lii.il or pris.ite schools, and .istiie nuni 
heis ol the inh,d)itants increased il w.is deenuHl advisahle to loimda public sehool, 
( )nc d.i\ (hniiif; tlie earlv f;dl, Mr. West was visited at his cl.iim by trustet^s and 
W.IS tendered the position ol piihlic school teacher In' them. lie ace.eitted and as 
soon , IS , I liiiildiii>;\v.is ei ected eiilered upon his duties, thus hei'oinin^ the first 
te. idler ol the liist puhl ic school (>l Wisconsin ICrritory. 

Mr. West w.is known .is •■the box te.icliei" because ol his \oulhful a)ip(nir- 
ance. I lis schol.iis niimiiered |ort\' dm iiii; the Inst xcir, but the next \c,ir liiey 
were mcre.ised b\ sesci.il new comers, .md lie then h.id ,in eiiidllmeiit ol sexcntw 
(.iboul one li.ill ol both sexes .is old .iiul oldei th.in liimsell.) riiere \\("H' not 
enoiiidi books to i;o lonnd .1111011;; the pupils, and si-.irceU' ,in\ two ol those avail- 
able were .dike. Moi.'ovei, no school books were to be li.ul ne.irer tli.iii iX'troit, 
a loni; journex dist.iiit, In the kikes. Ni_L;ht .liter ni^ht he l,d)ored in the school 
room until midmL^lit. sett iiil; copies lor the next d.iv, m.ikinj^ anil mending (pull 
pens lor the whole school, .md kiviii;; out t.isks lor the various elasses. 1 lis, re 
miiiici.ition vv.is s(>i> .1 month. 

In those d.ivs most men's vvurd w.is as ljooiI .is their bond, .md while te.ich 
lUi; school he w.is ollered ,1 (UU- h.ill section ckum lor soo. lie borrowed the 
inoiun' and inirch.ised it, !;iviii:.; \)o note to the lender, nor receiviui; anv .icknowl- 
ed',;meiit liom the seller. 1 he l.mds had nol been pi, iced upon s.ile bv the ( io\'- 
einment, ,md to jMotect themselves .ii^.iinst kind spi^eulators the pioneers orj^an- 
i cd .111 .isso( i.itioii .md Ir. lined l.iws lor their sell-proteetion, until the lands 
shiuild be bidiiidit into m.iiket. Owe ol the refill. it ions ot the "club kiws," re- 
ipiired .ill cl.imi holders to Ao <- y vvoith ot woik, within .1 ve.ir, ow e.ich (pi.uter- 
seetion held, iiiiless iiUMCth.in (Uie (pi.ii ter-secl ion ki\' m .1 bodv. m which c,is(- all 
tlu" woi k loi the .iddiliou.il ones ciuild be done (Ui any (UU' ol them, (^t'kiimants 



kKi'Ki':si';N-rA-ri\'i'; mI'.n oy iiik i'mi'I'-.h si'a'I'ks; Wisconsin voi.i'mi:. .| i _:^ 

were prntrrtrd to the amount of one sortinn f)f lanrl.) To fulfill this requirement, 
Mr. Wist, m llic I. ill (>( I'^.v'^, wi'iil u|)iin llic claini he had iiurcliascd while; t(;ach- 
ing school. Ik: baked up the last ol his lloui in liis cahin, and, addiu}^ mashed 
])otatoes to tiie douj^h, i)al<{Hl bread of Hour and i)olaloi;s. Tying this in one end 
of a ba;.,' and placing his last piece of jioik in ihc olhcr, he tied the sack on the 
back- ol his Indian pon)', and traveling lhrou;.^h the woods reached his claim on 
K'oot river, twelve miles Iroiii l\\r. village of Milwaukee. Upon his arrival he 
slop])ed with a man known as "Pioneer" Sinilli, who had a claim near his, and 
from whom he had purchastid his claim, lie w.is lieartily welcomed by IVIr. Smith 
and invited to reside with him, and was informed that relatives of Mr. Smith, 
who had dw(;lt with him had been st.iived out and returned to Indiana, j'ioneer 
.Sinilli had just be<^un to use his pot,ito(;s, and their fare consisted c^l new ])ota- 
loes, and while it lasted, the bread and ])ork that Mr. West had brought with him. 
About that time the stock of Hour in Milwaukee i)ecamc exhausted and at no 
price could anv be obtained, and the inhabitants of the village and the surround- 
mg territory to a great extent, were forced to exist u]ion potatoes during tiie time 
of the gre.il Hour famine. l'"or two nioiUhs Mr. West and his com|)anions Listed 
no bread. I'he countr}- h.ad been cl(;ared of game by the Indi.ins and tluar only 
food was potatoes. One midnight in November two sons of a neighbor, a Kcn- 
luckian named Howard, who resided two miles distant and was their nearest 
neighbc>r, awakened them at their cabin about midnight and informed them that 
their father had returned from Milwaukee with a barrel of Hour, ;i car^o of which 
had arrived that afternoon, and that their mother was then baking bread and d(v 
sired them to come over and partake. They most willingly com|ilied, jum|)(;d out 
of bed and dressed with haste and thankfulness. Upon their arrival at the 
Howard home they found Mrs. Howard baking short cake in a tin reH(;ctor at the 
lire-place. As soon as one batch was baked, another was put in the reHector, and 
the half-famished beings ate the delicious food. Mr. West has always considered 
this the sweetest feast he ever attended. Mr. and .Mrs. llow.ard retired after 
sufficient bread had been eat(,'n, but the young peo|)le of the f;imily anrl Mr. 
West and Pioneer Smitli remained up all night holding a jollirieatioii over the 
short-cake. Flour at that time sold for $25 a barrel, but even at that price was 
exceedingly scarce for soine months, and if Mr. Howard had not happened to be 
in Milwaukee that very day, it is doubtful if his family or Mr. West would have 
tasted bread for another long period. Mr. Howard had gone to Milwaukee in the 
morning, driving through the timber with an ox team, arriving there about noon. 
A vessel was seen in the distance on the lake. All were on the alert for Hour, and 
had almost given up hojiing for the arrival of Captain Blake, who had promised 
to bring a cargo. Finally th(; vessel arrived in the bay, and it proved to be com- 
manded by Captain 131ake and loaded with Hour. The vessel had been carried by 
Milwaukee in a storm and put into (Chicago, where: Captain Blake had been of- 
fered a large profit on his cargo, but having i)romised to bring it to .Milwaukee he 



414 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF TIIK 

sailed back as soon as he could get out and gladdened the hearts of the residents 
of the village by his arrival. Mr. Howard knew that the flour would be all sold 
as soon as it arrived, and he therefore waited all day, until he found an oppor- 
tunity to purchase a barrel. Then he journeyed homeward at night through the 
timber, arriving after midnight. 

A full and complete history of the events of Mr. West's career, during the 
pioneer days, would of themselves fill a large volume. A few interesting incidents 
are herein cited to illustrate to future generations the hardships endured by the 
pioneers who laid the foundations of the great Northwestern empire. Pioneer 
Smith's cabin was a rudely constructed log house. It had two doors, one hung on 
hinges, the other placed loosely against the opening in the wall. A half barrel of 
pickles that had been put up by Mr. Smith's sister-in-law, before she and her husband 
returned to Indiana, was placed upon a bench against the door. Pioneer Smith 
was a religious man, and nightly fell on his knees and prayed to Almighty God. 
One night, while prostrated in the act of praying, a severe wind storm suddenly 
arose and carrying the door before it scattered the pickles and brine all over the 
floor. Mr. West jumped to his feet and said, "Pray on, Smith, and I'll pick up 
the pickles." Smith discontinued praying, got up, and sitting with his hands over 
his face said, "West, you're a hard case." Although provisions were expensive 
the cost was slight compared with the difficulty of transporting them to the claim. 
At one time, having purchased a barrel of flour for I25, Mr. West loaded it into 
an Indian canoe, and paddled it up the Menominee river; the canoe was capsized 
by the wind, the boat going one way and the barrel of flour the other, and Mr. 
West between them. Finding himself unable to save both the canoe and flour, he 
let the former go, and swimming with the barrel guided it down the stream. He 
was assisted out of the water, at Walker's Point, and reloading the barrel on an- 
other canoe, or Indian dugout, paddled up the Menominee. About a mile and a 
half below his cabin, his progress was interrupted by trees which had been thrown 
across the stream as bridges, and he was forced to land and carry his flour home. 
He had provided himself with a sack in Milwaukee, and carried the flour from the 
barrel to his claim, making three trips backward and forward, each time covering 
the barrel with boughs and leaves to hide it from the Indians. At another time 
he left an unopened barrel of flour at his home while he went away, and return- 
ing at night heard a crackling sound, which he believed was caused by Indians 
opening the barrel. Coming close, cautiously and silently, he discovered that 
wolves were breaking some bones that he had thrown out of his cabin door. 

In the fall of 1836, while Mr. West was at Walker's Point, an Indian who 
was on the eve of departure to a distant point became intoxicated, with his friends, 
and forced his attentions upon all who were about him. Mr. West was busy and 
being pressed for time refused to bother with him. The Indian became angry 
and abusive. Some bystanders called to Mr. West to look out, but before he could 
move away the Indian began stabbing him, inflicting three wounds, one in the 



REPKKSENTATIVIO MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 415 

face, one in the body and one in the thigh, the latter a most serious wound sev- 
eral inches in length. The scars of these wounds are still visible. 

In 1837 Mr. West started out in charge of a surveying party, employed to 
operate in the western part of the Territory of Wisconsin. The party consisted 
of several men, and the provisions, tents, blankets and other utensils were carried 
on the back of Indian ponies; each pony was provided with an Indian pack-saddle. 
They proceeded along in Indian fashion, in single file. The pony in the rear was 
very heavily loaded with the provisions. They journeyed through dense timber 
without guides all day, until at dusk they reached the Fox river, at a point near 
what is now Mukwonago. The Fox river divided the timber from the prairie open- 
ings, and fording the stream they encamped on the west side of the river. When 
crossing at the ford the pony that carried the provisions was missed, and suppos- 
ing that it had merely stepped out of the trail to browse, a man was sent back to 
hunt it. He returned without discovering a trace of the lost animal. That night 
Mr. West and his company retired supperless. He carried with him for his po- 
nies some damaged cornmeal which he moistened and placed before them on the 
ground. The ponies sniffed at it but refused to eat it, mussing it some and then 
leaving it to eat the grass. They continued their journey the next day, leaving 
a man to find the pony and catch up with them. At night the man arrived and 
brought the doleful information that the pony was lost. This left no alternative 
but to return to Milwaukee. They started back, after being without food for two 
nights and two days. Arriving where they had camped the previous night, they 
gathered up from the ground the sour meal that the ponies had refused to eat, 
and mixing a dough therefrom, baked it and enjoyed their repast. When he 
reached Milwaukee Mr. West related his experiences to Solomon Juneau, the In- 
dian trader, whose wife was an Indian woman, and who was the Indians' con- 
fidant. Mr. Juneau sent out Indian runners to look for the pony, which proved to 
have been stolen. Mr. West offered a reward and a few days later an Indian came in 
and stated he had found a pony, which proved to be the one that had been stolen. 
The provisions and pack-saddle, however, had disappeared. It was afterward 
discovered that the Indians had hid in the thicket, and after the surveying com- 
pany had passed by them they caught the bridle of the last pony and took it with 
them. Mr. West made another start, and successfully surveyed the territory to 
which he was sent. 

In December, 1838, he started on an expedition and had arrived at a point near 
where Fort Atkinson is now located, when he was severely attacked with rheuma- 
tism, so started to walk back to Milwaukee and being anxious to reach there as 
soon as possible traveled quite late into the night, guiding himself by the stars, 
through the forest and over the prairies. He had proceeded to within five or six 
miles of where Waukesha is now built, when he heard the report of a gun. Being 
unable t<j account for'the shot, knowing no one resided in that section, he at once 
changed his course, and went in the direction of the sound. He found a family 



4l6 HKK'.KArilirAl. niCI'IONAKV ANll I'dRI'KAn' CAl.l.KRV (IK I'lIK 



of three — man, woman and child — in a sled pulled by two yoke of steers and a 
young fellow trying to drive them, who with his steers and sled was hired to take 
them to Milwaukee. The weather was extremely cold and they were all endur- 
ing such intense suffering that they were at the point of giving up in despair. In 
response to his inquiry they replied th it they had been living on the east side of 
Wisconsin river, and were trying to reacli Milwaukee. They had, however, lost 
their bearings and were journeying in an opposite direction! The man's feet were 
frozen and he was helpless; the steers were exhausted and refused to climb a hill 
that was before them; the boy driver was equally discouraged. As a last resort 
tlu'N- discharged their gun, thereby hoping to attract attention to them. Mr. West 
got the steers turned and headed in the right direction and helped them along un- 
til they reached a haystack in a marsh and a fallen dry tree near by, when he 
built a hre and made them as comfortable as possible. He mounted the body of 
the tree and ax in hand began chopping off the limbs for fuel. The night was 
clear and bitterly cold, and the sound of the ax resounded clearly and distinctly 
for a great distance. About one mile further on a young man resided on his claim. 
Hearing the sound of the ax he came to his door, and saw the tire. He immedi- 
ately started on his horse to investigate, and upon his arrival invited them to his 
cabin, riding ahead to prepare a fire on his hearth. Before Mr. West and the suf- 
ferers reached the hospitable bachelor's home a small but deep stream, which the 
steers refused to cross, interrupted their progress. Being unable to successfully 
urge them over, Mr. West took the disabled man from under his blankets on his 
back and carried him some lift}' rods to the house. lie then immediately got a 
bucket of spring water, and placed the frozen feet therein. Fot)d and lodging were 
furnished there, and the next day they proceeded safely to Milwaukee. Owing to 
Mr. West's assistance their lives were saved, as they would certainly have per- 
ished unless succored. 

For several years after the events narrated Mr. West was engaged in survey- 
ing the western part of Milwaukee countv (now Waukesha countw) and in 1842 he 
took up a farm in that county at a place called Summit, and followed farming and 
surveying there until 1845. ^'^ '•^'■^^'^ vear he located on a 400-acre tract of land 
that he had purchased of the Government and put in a large crop of fall wheat^ 
which he sold for $1 a bushel on the farm to new settlers, as soon as it could be 
threshed. In 1S5J he leased his farm with a large stock of cattle and sheep for 
a term of seven years, and mo\ed to Appleton, which at that time was a small 
village. He purchased 100 acres on the north boundary of the village, on which 
he resided for two years, later selling part of it for fair ground and other purposes. 
In January, 1855, he purchased 533 acres of land in the city of Appleton, on the 
south side of Fox river, including Grand CHiutc island, and later made other pur- 
chases of city real estate. He has always been |)ublic spirited and enterprising, 
and has ever been in sympathy with all enterprises organized that would add to 
the material worth of the city, and has financially invested in various manuiactur- 



KEl'KKSKNTATIVE MKN (IK TUK rMTKn STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 417 

in<; companies to aid in makin^^ their establish ments successful. He was one of 
tiie first to foresee the <^reat advantaj^es to be derived from the water-power at 
this point. When in 1855 he purchased the large tract of wild land, (which in- 
cluded Grand Chute island) he knew that a portion of the purchase would soon 
become very valuable, because of its water-power privileges. He at once began 
improving the How of water at the upper portion of the island in a small way and 
opened up a water-power by constructing a dam across the south channel, and 
putting a wing dam above the Grand Chute island. The following year he began 
selling some water-power lots. The island was covered with a growth of very 
large sugar maples principally, which he cleared off, and in 1857 the hrst manu- 
facturing plants, — a machine shop and woolen mill were established. In 1S58 he 
dug a small canal about 300 feet in length, which furnished the power for a woolen 
mill and a hub and spoke factory. In the spring of 1870 he began digging the 
grand canal, through nearly the entire length of the island. He began operations 
April I, 1870, employing 130 men and twenty-nine teams, one half of the teams 
being from the neighboring villages, Neenah, Menasha and the town of Vinland, 
Winnebago county. In the latter part of December the work was completed and 
the city of Appleton furnished with sufficient water-power to place her in the first 
rank of the manufacturing cities of the Northwest. The work was under Mr. 
West's supervision from the start to its completion, his early education in civil en- 
gineering enabling him to conduct it in all branches in a most satisfactory man- 
ner. The construction of the grand canal was without doubt the most important 
of all Appleton's improvements, and as long as the water Hows down the Fox 
river the canal, with its manufacturing establishments, will be a living monument 
to its enterprising builder. After this great undertaking was completed the citi- 
zens of Appleton held a mass meeting and testified to their appreciation of Mr. 
West's efforts to benefit the city. Appropriate speeches were made and a 
silver tea service, bearing the following inscription, "Presented to Edward West 
by the citizens of Appleton as a token of their appreciation of his enterprise in 
building the Grand Chute island canal," was presented to him. Letters of con- 
gratulation were received from Governor Lucius Fairchild, Col. C. D. Robinson 
and Hon. Hiram Barney. Hon. A. L. Smith, then mayor of Appleton, presented 
the silver service and made the following brief remarks: "It is not my intention 
to try and add to the interest of this occasion by indulging in a speech, but on the 
part of the citizens of Appleton congregated here we owe to Mr. West a just rec- 
ognition. Among the events of great usefulness to xAppleton which have trans- 
jMred during the past year, not the least is the improvement just completed. I, 
therefore, sir, do most heartily congratulate you, in behalt ot the citizens of Ap- 
pleton, that your long and anxious labors are ended; that the purpose you have 
had so long in view is now an accomplished and realized fact. Without excep- 
tion we all earnestly hope that where you have sowed so liberally you may reap 
abundantly. The courage necessary to enter upon such a work, and the faith de- 



4l8 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND VURTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

manded to carry it through, would have appalled many a stout heart; and it is. 
sir, prompted by a consideration of these, and the great usefulness of the work, 
that the citizens of Appleton have made it my pleasant duty to present you with 
this service of silver, as a slight testimonial of their appreciation of the public 
spirit that has carried you through your labors. This is not to be considered by 
any means as commensurate with their ideas of the importance of the improve- 
ment, but we hope it will be received in the spirit it is given, and the monu- 
ment which you have erected on Grand Chute island will be a lasting testimonial 
to you as a public benefactor, and perpetuate your name in grateful memory so 
long as the city of Appleton exists. " 

Mr. West responded as follows: "Mr. President and Mayor of the city of 
Appleton: — To me this is quite as unexpected as it is unmerited. I can hardly 
find words adequate to express mj' thanks to you and to my fellow citizens for 
the aid that has been so freely and liberally extended during the progress of the 
improvement, and for the sympathy, kindness and appreciative spirit chat have 
been manifested in so many different ways for what I in my humble endeavors, 
have, through the aid and interposition of a kind and overruling Providence, been 
able to accomplish. Such demonstrations of encouragement, such lively interest 
taken by our citizens in the development of our great natural resources, is not 
only laudable in itself but it augurs good for a bright future in store for Appleton, 
It more than compensates me for all the hardships and anxiety of mind I 
have undergone, — for the da3-s of trial and nights of sleeplessness during the year 
just passed. As canal diggers are not speech makers, I will not be so presump- 
tuous as to attempt such an infliction upon you, but come right to the point and 
acknowledge a deep sense of gratitude, and tender my humble, sincere thanks to 
you and through you to my kind and appreciative friends and fellow citizens of 
Appleton. These to me are tokens of regard and kindly feeling. They are evi- 
dences of disinterested friendship and appreciation. As such they will ever be 
prized and cherished by me." 

In a great many other directions has Mr. West added to the material pros- 
perity of the city, and he has invested over sioo.ooo in improvements, which will 
be of permanent benefit to Appleton and its citizens. 

Politically, Mr. West affiliates with the Republican party, but is in no sense 
a politician, believing that in all cases the best men should be elected to positions 
of trust. He was married in September, 1865, to Miss A. Mar)- Fenno, a daugh- 
ter of Lionell Udell Fenno and A. Melvina Fenno, Jiee Dutcher. They have one 
child living, a daughter. Nellie M., wife of Frank Crombie Studley, M. D., of 
Milwaukee. Another daughter, Tina Bell, died in infancy. 

Mrs. West was born in Waukegan, Illinois. Her paternal ancestry was of 
French origin, her maternal ancestry English. She is fond of art and literature, 
and has labored with a devotion born of love to master the art of painting. Her 
work is full of expression and by connoisseurs much of it is pronounced of a very 




m^lm 




1 



'tZu<:^<^^-^/^fZ6t^^^ 



KKl'KKSKNTATIVK i\IKN OF I'lIK UNITKI) STATKS; WISCONSIN VoI.UMK. 42 1 

hip[h order. She shrinks from pubHcly exhibiting any of her work, but in years 
to come, probably after this generation has been succeeded by others, her 
l^aintings will be classed, as they should be, among the works of acknowledged 
merit. 

Mr. West's biography is replete with incidents that illustrate clearly the con- 
dition of the Northwest more than half a century ago. I lis life has been most 
active and the hardships he has passed through would have discouraged any but 
a man of great force and of stout heart. His career should serve as a lesson to 
the young and prove to them that hard and steady work, combined with honor 
and intcgrit}', are the forces of success. lie is now seventy-six years of age, but 
in appearance much younger. His physique is robust and his health perfect. 
He has never indulged in the use of tobacco or ardent spirits, and his present 
physical vigor is undoubtedly due to this fact. 



WILLIAM WILSON. 

MENOMONIl-:. 

WILLIAM WILSON, the subject of this sketch, was born February 9, 1807, 
in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania. 

He was of English descent: his parents, Martin II. and Mary (Lambert) 
Wilson, were born in England, and subsequently coming to America settled in 
the State of Pennsylvania, where his father died. 

It would be impossible in this brief sketch to give more than an outline of the 
life, labors and character of this man who contributed so much toward, and 
whose thoughts and efforts have become so essentially a part of the history of the 
Northwest. His predominant physical, mental and moral characteristics, he un- 
doubtedly inherited from his mother, for whom he had an intensely affectionate 
regard and admiration, and who, for her strength of intellect and character, her 
many virtues and her noble motherhood, was truly more entitled to honor and 
reverence than any Spartan mother of olden time. 

Born in the beautiful valley of the Susquehanna river, at a time when school 
houses were few and school masters infrequent sojourners, he had little oppor- 
tunity for securing an education; yet he obtained sufficient knowledge in the rudi- 
ments of education to enable him, unaided, to acquire sufficient, as the years went 
by, for the transaction of the business incident to his varied and active life. A 
close observer, with retentive memory, an inquiring mind, a lover of nature, he 
found in his surroundings an ample field for the cultivation of his noblest and 
best faculties. Here in the wilderness were passed the years of his childhood and 



422 r,iiu;u.\riiirAi. DicruiNAKV and I'oui-RArr cai.lf.rv of tiik 



early manhood, — the very time when the first cjreat wave of civiHzation began to 
break over tlic Rkie Ridge mountains that stood before and around him. 

He was in tht^ midst of a seemingly interminable forest; isolated clearings here 
and there alone broke the vast expanse of ft^liage which, covering the valleys, 
cnnvned alike the sides and summits of hills and mountains, while at his feet 
flowed the silvery current of the river, nearly hidden from view by the interlacing 
branches of the oaks, beeches and pines. 

It is fitting and proper to speak of the conditions and surroundings amid which 
he lixc'd during this formative period of his life, because it is evident that they were 
indelibh- impressed upon his mind and contributed largely toward shaping his 
action and determining his career during his long and busy lite. Indeed, it is 
doubtful whether, but for his observation and experience in early youth, he would 
have made the business venture in the wilds of Wisconsin, which has so indissoluljly 
linked his name with the history of the Chippewa valley. 

Mr. W'ilson spent his boyhood and early manhood in Pennsylvania, contrib- 
uting his labor toward the support ol the tamilv. No task was too severe, no hon- 
est labor too menial lor his undertaking, pro\ided it turnished him thi' means to 
aid his mother in caring for the wants of the household. So we find him en- 
gaged in farming, lumliering, piloting rafts and arks on the river. 

In 1832 the iamilv left Pennsvlvania for the far distant and then little known 
great West. Their experience in privations and hardships on their long, slow and 
tedious journey, was not unlike that of many others going into a new, undeveloped 
and sparsely settled territory. A brief stop in Illinois, and the family moved into 
Iowa and settled at Fort Madison, in that State. 

Here, some years afterwards, his mother died. He had now reached mature 
manhood, and those qualities of mind and heart that gave bent and direction to 
his thoughts and actions found an ample field in the development and higher civ- 
ilization of the new West. Whether engaged in running a stage line, as captain 
of a steamboat, or in local civil affairs, we see the same strong sense of justice and 
right, the same determined, outspoken stand for liberty and the freedom of con- 
science and action. 

During the last veurs of his life he was often wont to speak of his experi- 
ences in early life in the West. Manv thrilling and touching incidents would he 
relate with all the ierxor and enthusiasm of youth. Reference can here be mad© 
to but one or two. 

He was intimately acquainted with Colonel George Davenport, who came to 
Rock Island, Illinois, in r8i6, as an army officer. He spoke of his ability, his 
kindness, his integrity, and his unceasing eftorts to conciliate the Indians; his 
torture and fiendish murder by Fox, Baxter, Birach and the three Long brothers; 
the pursuit, capture and trial of the murderers, and the hanging of the Long 
brothers at Rock Island. 

He knew the Indian chief Blackhawk. He spoke of him as being one of the 



RE1'RKSE\TATI\1-: MKN <>!• IIIK IXITEl) SI'ATES ; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 423 

most remarkable men that he ever met, — a man of great integrity and natural 
ability; a military genius. He was present and took part in the last reception 
given him on the fourth day of July, 1S3S. He saw him during his last sickness, 
attended his funeral, saw him buried in his military uniform, wearing his military 
cap with his totem^a bunch of the tail feathers of the black sparrow-hawk — 
buried sitting upright, his head and shoulders above ground, puncheons over these, 
and the flag of his country over all. 

A few miles below Fort Madison, on the Illinois shore of the Mississippi river, 
stood the beautiful Mormon city, Nauvoo. He witnessed the building of much of 
the city and the erection of the temple in 1840. He often referred to that city, its 
inhabitants, its temple, the habits, religion and peculiarities of the people. He 
made no defense or apology for their religious faith and practices, but denounced 
them as pernicious and subversive of republican form of government; yet he ex- 
jiressed in strong and earnest language his indignation at the cowardly and brutal 
murder of their chief prophet, Joe Smith, at Carthage, Illinois. 

The last reference that he ever made to the writer, of his life in Iowa, about 
two years before his death, he alluded with much feeling to the expulsion of the 
Mormons from Nauvoo. How, amid sleet, rain and snow, poorly clad, with' boats, 
skiffs, flatboats and scows, they crossed the Mississippi river, and without tents 
hundreds of women and children were compelled to camp on the bottom lands near 
Montrose, many dying from exposure and disease. 

Mr. Wilson was not satisfied or contented with his surroundings and business 
prospects in Iowa. The scenes and labors of his youth and early manhood, .so 
strongly impressed upon his mind and memory, came back to him. He longed for 
the wild woods, the smell of the oak, maple and pine, to hear the sound of the axe, 
the falling tree, and the saw in the old sawmill. He had heard and read that far 
north, beyond the habitations of civilization, in the land of the Chippewas and 
Sioux, there were vast pine forests, beautiful ri\ers and magnificent water powers. 
.A.ll these — their availibility and utility for contributing to the comfort and wealth of 
man — were his thoughts by day and dreams by night, until he had seen them for 
himself. 

He went up the Mississippi river to the mouth of the Chippewa river, and 
from there into the Red Cedar and Chippewa valleys. His fondest hopes and ex- 
pectations were more than realized. He thought the Red Cedar and its tributa- 
ries the most beautiful .streams that he had ever seen; the .supply of pine timber al- 
most exhaustless. He returned home and related what he .saw and gave his own 
opinion of the advantages and opportunities for investment and business enterpri.ses. 
Soon after, in June, 1846, in company with Mr. John H. Knapp, he came up the 
Red Cedar river to the site of the city of Menomonie. 

They purcha.sed of one David Black a half interest in a small sawmill located 
a few rods above the mouth of Wilson creek. Mr. P.lack, d\ing a few weeks later, 
they accjuired the entire property. The entire outlay in money was about two 



424 BU)GRAI'I1ICAL DICTIOXARV AND I'liRTRAlT (;ALI.P:RV OV lllV. 

thousand dollars. Thus, in 1846, within the corporate limits of the city of Me- 
nomonic was commenced an industry and business enterprise, which has only 
changed to meet the demands of expansion of business, or through the death of its 
members. 

There was no selling market for lumber, no food or supplies nearer than Prairie 
du Chien; there was no means of travel or communication with the business world 
except by keel boat or Indian trail; yet Mr. Wilson's family, notwithstanding the 
sacrifice, discomfort and danger, came and joined him in his wilderness home. It 
needed braver}', courage and fortitude to make the journey, and it needed more to 
willingly surrender all the ties of friendship, society and even civilization in settling 
in their new home. Every disadvantage and inconvenience was bravely and cheer- 
fully acquiesced in by mother and children. The father cheerfully, courageously 
and energetically met ever}' difficulty, and each year something was added to the 
business and its resources. Others came into the firm later, adding of their means, 
and bringing to aid their own labors. 

Not only was Mr. Wilson the projector of this great business enterprise, but it 
was his business foresight, energy and executive ability more than any other one 
thing, that for the first quarter of a century of its existence mapped out, determined 
and carried forward to a successful consummation its varied industrial undertakings. 
This word of praise need not, and does not, detract from his associates, for each 
in his special sphere of activity displayed genius and business qualities of the high- 
est order. He was not long in settling in his own mind the fact that pine timber 
lands would necessarily increase in value as the years passed, and hence, when in 
actual business, he advocated the policy of large purchases and holdings in pine 
timber lands. His business tact and comprehension, early in the history of the 
firm, enabled him to see the advantages, if not necessity, of utilizing the reservoirs 
and lakes of the Red Cedar river. How to do this and secure for the company 
the control of the reservoirs, dam and water of the Red Cedar river and its tribu- 
taries, was a question that received from him much investigation and thought, and 
to-day the exercise of • 'Prior Possession, " (under the law) of the river and itstribu- 
taries the ownership or control of every reservoir and dam located thereon, is the 
outcome of his wisdom and forethought, and the practical judgment, good sense 
and hearty co-operation of Captain Andrew Tainter. His efforts and time were 
not limited to his own business affairs, but every enterprise intended for the devel- 
opment and material growth of the Northwest, received his encouragement, and 
many his earnest support. Among these were the securement of railway land 
grants, the location and construction of railways, and the protection and improve- 
ment of river navigation. 

Mr. Wilson lived to see the business enterprise he established, under the man- 
agement of his associates and himself, grow from a small sawmill with one saw, 
into the largest lumber manufacturing corporation in the West, if not the United 



KErKESENTATIVE MEN UK THE UNITED STATES; WISCUNSIN VUIA'MK. 425 



Slates. The business, once almost exclusively confined to one State, now in its 
ramifications has large property holdings and (extensive plants in many States. 

It may safely he said that no other manufacturing institution of large magni- 
tude to be found anywhere in the West, has continued so long in business without 
serious reverses. More remarkable than all else is the fact that with such large and 
diversified enterprises, so many departments and branch business locations, no dif- 
ference or contentions ever arose to mar the harmony of action or lessen the degree 
of their success. 

Mr. W^ilson had the general charge and management of the manufacture of 
lumber, and for many years looked after the securement of pine lands and timber 
and the investment of money therein. lie early saw the necessity for securing 
large tracts of pine and not only labored with his hands for such accomplishment, 
but advised his associates of the benefits of such a course. 

His first impression of the Chippewa valley, like that of others, was that it 
was of little utilit\- after the timber was removed, but it did not take him long to 
discover his mistake. This once removed, he became at once its most zealous and 
enthusiastic defender and promoter. He was the founder of the present city of 
Menomonie and its first Mayor. 

The growth and expansion of business was rapid, so much so that even with 
his wonderful business capacity and physical endurance, it became necessary for 
him to have assistance; so his eldest son, Thomas B. Wilson, who was in charge 
of the firm's business at Read's Landing, Minnesota, moved to Menomonie; in 1874, 
and assisted his father until about 1882, when the father gradually relinquished all 
business management to this son, who is an officer of and one of the principal 
stockholders in The Knapp, Stout & Co. Company. 

A man of such impulses and temperament could not be indifierent to the great 
political, social and religious movements of his time, or fail to make known his 
views and position on the great questions growing out of them. He saw in early 
life the injustice and inhumanity of slavery and became an abolitionist. Ide thought 
that he saw in the organization of the Republican party the end of slavery exten- 
sion, and ultimately its overthrow, yet little thought that the South would inaugu- 
rate a war which would be the death knell of slavery. He was a Republican 
from the organization of the party until 1872, when he voted for Horace Greeley, 
for whom he had a great admiration. In 1876 he voted for Samuel J. Tilden for 
President. Afterwards his sympathies were with the Prohibitionists. He was 
averse to holding office, yet .served as State Senator one term. 

He was a Christian, a member of the Baptist denomination, and among the 
many kind and philanthropic acts of his life, was the building and furnishing at his 
own exjiense the First Bajitist Church of Menomonie, which at the time of its 
erection was the finest church in northwest Wisconsin. 

lie was twice happi!\' married. His first wife. Maria l)lair, died at h'ort Madi 
^on, Iowa. He married again, I'cljruary 22, 1841, Angelina Hale, who died at 



426 ISlor.KAl'lllCAl, DICTIONARV AN'I) I'dklRAir (iAl.l.KKV (IK TIIK 

MtMiouKinir, Wisconsin, December 2;,, 1885. lie clird :il his lionu- in Mcimnionic, 
Wisconsin, September 4, 1892, lca\'inj; surviving; him nim- thilclifn, -thii'c sons and 
six daughters. 

]\lr. Wilson was a man of stron<; and vigorous constitution, of remarivahle 
vilahtw equanimity and sell control ; endowed with great c]uickness ol ]H'rci>ption 
and good judgment, with power of ctJUijirehending and utilizing intricate (|uestions 
and problems relating to business atlairs, ciuick in decision, resolute in ailion, he 
was prc-emnienth' just llu' man lor tlu' new Northwest, the dexc'lojinuMil ol its re- 
sources, opening its bro.id acres to willing hands. A jiionei'r in this \alK'\', lie saw 
and ai>iiri'ciated its great possibilities. i lis indomitable energw perse\t'rance and 
generous, disinterested 'benevolence, contributed much toward making this \alley 
what it is to-day. 

It was in his woncU'rIul executi\-e abilit\- that he ilis))la\-ed his genius and ca- 
jLU'itN' tor largt' mulertakings. The easi' with which he I'onlrolled largi' bodu's of 
men, and carriinl in his mind the details ol busiin'ss atlairs madc> him a superior 
business manager. 

He saw with clear \ision the great advantage to the comnumitv and Stati' that 
would accrue in tlu> establishment and maintenance of a polic\- that would 
encourage and securi' the manufacture of the pine forests into lumlua" in this 
valley. 

Those who nu't him at his hoim- or in society found him hospitable, cordial 
and intt'restmg. 1 le was a good con\i_-rsationalist, and tluriiiL; tlu' \i'ars ot his 
mental and business activity he possessed a very retentive menn)ry, often speaking 
with much clearness and minuteness of .scenes and events of other days. He made 
friends and watched tlu'ir histor\' ami weltart^ with teiulerest care, not tor tlu' pur- 
pose of subordinating them to his pri\ate advantagt', but In-cause he found an a]v 
proiM"iate jilace for them in his heart, and tlu'\- dwelt tlu're in no peril ol being dis- 
placed by other new found tenants. 

Formal receptions, the empty show and platitmles ot tashionable lite, he did 
not relish, but an ewning ainong his friends was a restful pleasure to his mind ami 
body. He did not covet a wide circle of intimate friends or associates, but fol- 
lowed the ]irece)it ot Polonius: 

"The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, 

"(jrapple them to thy soul with hooks of steel." > 

The K)oin ot lite is never idle. The taithtul tingias ot ciixaimstant'e or un- 
toward destinw are I'wr bus\' wea\'ing together the warji ami wool ot our lixi'S, 
either in bright-colored ideals, noble as]iirations and deeds, or blasted hopes, dark- 
ened misfortunes and selhshne-ss. 

Of William Wilson it may trul\- be said; 

"His lite was gentle and the elements so mixed in him, that 

nature mi_L;ht stand u\> and sa)' to the world, 
' I'his is a man.' " 



RKrKKSi:\rATIVK MEN OF IIIK rNITKI) STATES; WTSCONSIX VOIA'ME. 427 



ALVAN E. TYLER, 

LAKE GENEVA. 

THE task of writing tlie biography of the living representative men is a most 
difficult one, because of the prevailing modesty of the successful business 
man, who invariably possesses a shrinking from personal prominence which dis- 
courages even friendly attempts to uncover the secret of his success. 

The rarity of genuine success is not likely to be the result of mere chance of 
good fortune; it is something that must be labored and sought for. 

Alvan Elnathan Tyler was born in Milford, Massachusetts, October 22, 1838, 
and is the son of a cabinet-maker. His parents, Daniel and Thusa T3'ler, nee 
Policy, were not able to give their children the advantage of any other than 
a common-school education, supplemented by a few terms in the local high 
school. In 1S57, at the age of nineteen, Mr. Tyler left home to win for- 
tune by his own endeavors and entered upon the duties of a clerk in mer- 
cantile establishment in the small village of Kennedy, Chautauqua county, 
New York, where he remained until April, 1861. He then obtained a position in 
the freight office of the Atlantic & Great Western Railway at Corry, Pennsylva- 
nia, now a part of the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad system. 

While in the employ of the railroad company Mr. Tyler never limited his 
labors to mere routine work, but was always seeking to improve the service in 
every way pos.sible and placed the interests of his employers above all others. 

In this position he acquired a familiarity with the details of railroad business 
and displayed that fitness for dealing with railroad affairs which brought him to the 
notice of his superiors and resulted in his gradual promotion to higher positions, 
until he was tendered the position of agent for both the railroad company and the 
United States Express Company. His experience and familiarity with railroad 
matters were well known, and when the Vermillion Coal Company, atStreator, Illi- 
nois, was formed, he was offered the position of treasurer and director in the com- 
]Kiny, which included the care of the Ottawa, Oswego & Fox River Valley Railroad, 
which was owned by the coal company. Later, June 14, 1871, the Vermillion Coal 
Company consolidated with the Wilmington Coal Compan)', and July 8, 1871, by 
consolidation, formed the Wilmington & Vermillion Coal Company. At that time 
the railroad running from Streator to Winona was absorbed by the Chicago & Alton 
Railroad, and that part running north to Aurora became a part of the Chicago, Bur- 
lin<'ton & Quincy Railroad. The mineral resources of central Illinois have received 
much of Mr. Tyler's attention, and the coal mines in the vicinity of Streator for 
several years evinced the mastery of his management. 

In July, 1 87 1, he retired from the Wilmington & Vermillion Coal Company, 
and became officially connected with the construction and operating of the Chi- 
ca"o & Paducah Railroad, — now the Chicago branch of the Wabash Railroad, — and 



_j.28 H1(k;KA1'11!CAL dictionary AM) I'dRTKAIT tlALLEKV dV ITIK 



also the Chicago, Pekin & Southwestern Railroad, — now a part of the Santa Fe 
system, holding the positions of treasurer, auditor, general ticket agent, and gen- 
eral freight agent on both roads. In July, 1874, he formed a copartnership with 
Mr. M. J. Luther, of Streator, Illinois, and buying a control of the Streator Coal 
Company they successsfully operated that compan}- until the property was ex- 
hausted. 

In 187Q they secured their own mining property and formed the Luther & 
Tyler Coal & Coke Company, which has continued in successful operation up to the 
present time. In 1883 Mr. Tyler ceased active participation in the work of con- 
ducting his coal-mining business and removed to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. In 1885 
he became interested in iron-mining in the famous Gogebic section and became 
manager, director and treasurer of the Aurora iron mine. He continued in that ca- 
pacity but one year, as he found the labor too arduous for his strength and has 
gradually closed out his holdings in that quarter. He is, however, still interested 
in mining, and has holdings in Mexico silver properties and in Dakota gold fields, 
and finds the prospects in both ventures exceedingly bright. In September, 1886, 
Mr. Tyler was elected president of the First National Bank, of Lake Geneva, with 
the intention of only temporarily holding the position. The management of the 
bank has been highly satisfactory, and he still acts as its presiding officer and con- 
trolling spirit. 

He is exceedingly fond of good horses, and some years ago secured a piece of 
land in Walworth'county, which he soon turned into a model stock farm, where he 
reared many valuable animals. He has, however, sought to live a semi-private life, 
and to limit his efforts to the least possible exertion consistent with his nature, 
health and financial interests; therefore he sold the farm, in the fall of 1892, though 
he still possesses some fine horses that he uses for his private purposes. 

Mr. Tyler has never held any political office and never aspired to political pre- 
ferment. He is a staunch Republican, but his party fealty is not grounded upon 
partisan prejudice, and he enjoys the respect and confidence of his fellow towns- 
men, irrespective of party lines. 

Mr. Tyler belongs to the Masonic order, and has l)cen a Knight Templar and 
a member of Ottawa (Illinois) Commanclery, No. 10, since 1870. 

On May 23. i^H:?, Mr. Tyler married Mrs. N. Celora Arkilles, of Lake 
Geneva. 

Mr. Tyler is fond of travel and has visited manv parts of the United States, - 
Mexico and the British Isles. He is a retiring man always, who shuns publicity. 
The influence of his character and his judgment has been exercised in those 
assemblies where men are trying quietl\- and in good faith to accomplish some 
good in the world. 

The historv of his success is short and simple. It contains no exciting chap- 
ters, but in its vt;r\- dullness lies one of the most valuable secrets ot the prosperity 
which it records. But the career of a man who started with no capital, savQ 



RKPRKSKNTA'in !•; Ml-N i H- IIH' IMTKI) STATES; \VISC( iNSIN V( iI.l'M I'.. 43 I 



brains and cnerg)', and accumulated a fortune, ispres;nant with interest, no matter 
liow lacking,' in dramatic action. Its most encoura<^in<j; feature, indeed, is the fact 
liiat there is nothing; in it wliich any man witli the same natural cciuipment may 
not hope to accomplish. The secret of Mr. Tyler's success lies, to a ^^reat ex- 
tent, in his business methods. Inte<i;rity, (:;ood faith and close attention to details, 
are jironiiniMit and distinctive features in his character. He is hi,<j;h-minded and 
honorable, and feels he has duties not only to his immediate relatives and triends, 
but to the community in which he lives. 

In ordinary intercourse his manner is affable and combines the; qualities of 
the f^'entleman and the experienced man of affairs. He is universally courteous 
in his treatment to all, both liis^h and low, and merits the respect in which he is 
held bv all who know him. 



HON. JOSIUMI J. IIADFIKLD, 



WAlKKslIA. 



PR.ACTICAL industry, truly and vigorously applied, never fails of success: it 
carries a man onward and upward, brings out his individual character, and 
powerfully stimulates the action of others. The greatest results in life are 
usually attained by simple means and the exercise of the ordinary qualities of 
common sense and perseverance. The usual life of every day with its cares, 
necessities, and duties, affords ample opportunity for acquiring experience of the 
best kind, and its most beaten paths provide the true worker with abundant scope 
for effort and room for self-improvement. 

The subject of this sketch, Hon. Joseph Jackson Hadfield, has always been 
a worker, and a successful one. He was born in Prairieville, now Waukesha, 
Wi.sconsin, August 2, 1844, and is the son of Joseph and Harriet (Jackson) Had- 
field. His father came to America from Derb3'shire, England, in 1842, and 
settled in Waukesha, where he engaged in, and for thirty years successfully con- 
ducted, the boot and shoe business. Of late years he has devoted himself to 
operating the extensive stone quarries which he owns near the city. 

Young Joseph obtained his education at the Union School and Carroll Col- 
lege, Waukesha, discontinuing his studies when about fourteen years of age, and 
then entered a machine shop at Racine, where he learned the machinists' 
trade. 

It was during his residence in that city that the war of the Rebellion broke 
out, and though but a boy he became fired with patriotism and enlisted in Com- 
pany K, of the Eighth Wisconsin Infantry. He served with his regiment for nine 
months, and then engaged in the business of buying and selling wool, with head- 



43- lilDCRAlMllCAI, DlCrioNAKV AM) I'l IRIRAI I' CAl.LERV OF TIIK 

quarters at Milwaukee. At this venture he continued for over a year, at the 
expiration of which period he decided to move westward, and accordingly went to 
Montana Territory. Upon his arrival there he engaged in mining, ranching and 
freighting, and in these occupations he crossed the Rocky Mountains twenty- 
eight times before those mountains were accessible by rail. 

Becoming dissatisfied with his Montana life, he again went westward, and 
spent some time at various localities on the Pacific Coast, remaining there until 
1869, when he returned to Milwaukee and once more entered the wool trade. 
After a year's continuance in the Cream City, he moved to Chicago and carried 
on his business in that city for two years. He then removed to Ottumwa, Iowa, 
making that city his home for seven years. 

His spirit of indomitable energy is shown by his career at Ottumwa, for his 
entire business, amounting to eight hundred thousand dollars a year, was carried 
on b) Mr. Iladfield alone, and most happily. The tension, however, told upon 
his nervous system, and he finally was compelled to relincjuish his business affairs 
in Ottumwa, and upon so doing returned to his boyhood's home — Waukesha, 
where he afterward recommenced operations in wool, and which he is still en- 
gaged in, most profitably. 

During his residence in Waukesha, the woolen mill in that city became finan- 
cially embarrassed and made an assignment. Mr. Hadfield purchased the prop- 
erty from the assignee, and at once started'it in operation; and, notwithstanding 
the fact that no money had ever before been made by the mill, and that Mr. Had- 
field was an entire novice at the business, yet, through his ability, it became at once 
a source of profit, and so continued until it was destroyed by fire in 1884. 

Mr. Hadfield, at present, is interested in real estate, both in W^aukesha and 
Milwaukee, and in the latter city has a choice piece of property near the new city 
hall, where, in the near future, he proposes erecting a handsome building. 

In his political views Mr. Hadfield is a stanch adherent to the doctrines of 
the Democracy, and has been elected to various offices on the party ticket. 
He was Trustee of the village of Waukesha, in 18S2; was elected president of 
the village in 18S6, and again in 1893, which latter term has not yet expired. 
In this last election he was elected over the Republican candidate, notwith- 
standing the fact that the ordinary Republican majority is about 150; that at 
an election held about thirty days previous the Republicans won by 400 majority, 
and that a number of dissatisfied Democrats bolted Mr. Hadfield's nomination. 
He had no desire for the office, but he did desire to defeat the methods em- 
ployed to defeat him, and that he succeeded is due to his great personal popu- 
larity and ability as an executive. He was elected to the State Legislative As- 
sembly in 1886, and served during the sessions of 1887 and 1888, his opponent 
for the office being Hon. E. Beaumont, one of the strongest Republicans in the 
county. Mr. Hadfield's majority was 511. 

During the campaign of 1888, Mr. Hadfield was a candidate for the Congres- 



RKrUKSKXTATIVK MEN OF TIIK UNITKI) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 433 



sional nomination, and his political enemies circulated the story that he had de- 
serted from the army during the war. Although it was a well-known fact this was 
not so, yet his friends deemed ihat in justice to Mr. Iladfield, the war depart- 
ment should be asked to either aflirm or deny the story, and therefore the follow- 
ing dispatch was sent by Mr. E. H. Gray, formerly lieutenant-colonel of the Twenty- 
eighth Wisconsin Volunteers: 

"Mii.wAiKEE, Sept. 5, 1888. 
"To Col. W.M. E. McLean, Wasliin^toi : 

"Will you investigate and advise me at once if Joseph J. Iladfield, Comixiny 
K, Eighth Wisconsin Infantry, was granted a furlough in the spring of 1862 from 
hospital at Evansville, Indiana. Wire answer, my expense." 

Colonel McLean immediately referred the matter to the adjutant-general of 
the army, and in response thereto received the following, signed by the assistant 
adjutant-general, and which he at once sent to Mr. Gray: 

"Adjutant-General's Office, Washington, D. C, Sept. 6, 1888. 

"Respectfully returned to the Commissioner of Pensions. The muster-roll 
of Company K, Eighth Wisconsin Volunteers, for the months of May and June, 
1862, show Joseph J. Hadfield absent, sent to Wisconsin from Evansville Hospital 
on sick leave. Company's morning report, dated June 12, 1862, reports him home 
on furlough. It is suggested that the surgeon-general of the army may be able to 
furnish further information from the hospital records. " 

This is sufficient to set at rest any and all of the malicious stories regarding 
Mr. Hadfield's war record. He was at that time under age, and when he recov- 
ered from the illness that necessitated his obtaining a furlough, his father posi- 
tively and absolutely refused to allow him to return, and so wrote the command- 
ing officer of the company, explaining to that gentleman's entire satisfaction his 
reasons for so doing. 

He is an attendant of the Presbyterian Church and contributes liberally to 
its support, and in fact he is always a liberal contributor to every object which is 
designed to benefit his city. He is also a member of tin; Knights of Pythias. 

An extensive traveler, he has visited almost all of the important localities of 
this country, and in 1885 took a \x\\) to Europe, and hojies in the near future to 
make the entire circuit of the globe. 

Mr. Hadfield has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Eliza Jane 
Foster, of Waukesha, to whom he was united April 16, 1872. She died October 
5, 1884. His present wife was formerly Miss Mary A. Davis, of Waukesha; 
their wedding occurred November 16, 1885. Of this union has been born one 
child, a daughter, Ethel, now six years of age, the light and life of Mr. and Mrs. 
Hadfield's handsome and happy home. 

Joseph J. Iladfield is a thoroughly self-made man. He has ever depended 
entirely upon himself. His ambition has ever been to succeed in whatever he un- 
dertook, and with this accomplished he was eager and anxious to conciuer some 



434 RIOGRArHICAI. DICTKINARV AND PORTRAIT (lALLKRV OF THE 

new field of labor. With him happiness is not in possession, but in the fruition of 
his plans, and these plans have invariably been successful. He has never signed 
or endorsed paper for any man, nor has he ever asked any man to sign or en- 
dorse for him. For all that he possesses he is indebted to his own individual ef- 
forts, which have always consisted of hard work and perseverance backed by in- 
tense energy and will power. His life liistory is an apt illustration of what may 
be accomplished b}- intellect and industry, in a country where a poor bo}' has 
equal opportunities of advancement with the son of wealthy parents. 

Mr. Hadfield's life has ever been characterized by zeal and ability. Whether 
it be his own personal affairs or the business of the public committed to his hands, 
his efforts have been most marked, and he has always conscientiously striven to 
administer public business in a manner that would bring the Ijcst possible results to 

the community 

********* 

Since the foregoing was prepared Mr. Hadfield has been called from the 
.scene of' his earthly labors, his death having occurred on the 14th day of May, 1894. 
He was superintending the erection of the building in Milwaukee mentioned 
previously, and there contracted a cold which hnallv compelled his taking to his 
bed. Later an operation was found necessary, but his system was too weak to 
withstand it, and he expired shortly thereafter, sincerely mourned, not only by the 
citizens of Waukesha but by the many friends and acquaintances he had made 
throughout a long and honorable career. 



LUTE A. TAYLOR, 

l.A CROSSE. 

LUTE A. TAYLOR was born in Norfolk, St. Lawrence county. New York, 
September 13th, 1835. His father died when Lute was but eight years 
old, leaving his mother with a family of eight children in destitute circumstances. 
He was, therefore, from his early boyhood, compelled to a life of toil. He earned 
with his own hands the means to support himself, and to acquire a thorough aca- 
demical education. He very early gave evidence of excellent literary taste and 
abilities. 

In the fall of 1856 he moved to River Falls, Pierce county, Wisconsin, and in 

June of the following year he issued the initial number of his first newspaper, "The 

River Falls Journal." In the spring of i86r he removed the "Journal" office to 

Prescott, Wisconsin, where, until 1869, he published the "Prescott Journal." InAu- 

gust, 1869, he entered upon a broader field of journalism, becoming one of the pub- 




ornJ^nyrrJ^ 



RKl-KESKNTATIVK MKN nv llli; IMIKD STATKS ; WISCONSIN VOI.r.MK. 437 



lishers and the editor-in-chief of the La Crosse "Morning Leader." This position 
he liUed until a few months prior to his death. 

In his career as an editor he was distinguished by a keen wit, a bright and 
vigorous style, and great range of subjects. His fame was justly high, and his 
ability was well known and appreciated by a wide circle of readers. 

Mr. Taylor was appointed Assistant Assessor of Internal Revenue, on the 
organization of that bureau of service, and very soon after, on the ist of January, 
iSS-}., he received the appointment as .\ssessor of the Sixth Congressional Dis- 
trict of Wisconsin, and continued in that office until its abolition, in the spring of 
1S73. On the designation of La Crosse as a port of entry, in the summer of 1873, 
Mr. Taylor was appointed surveyor of the port, which position he held at the time 
of his death. 

Mr. Taylor died at his home in La Crosse, Wisconsin, of congestion of the 
lungs, after an illness of a week, on the i ith day of November, 1873. 



NATHAN PERELES, 

MII.W.'MKKK. 

OUR country is inestimably indebted to the energy, usefulness and patriotism 
of that large number of foreign-born citizens who came into the Northwest 
with the pioneers from New England and the Middle States, and gave a helping 
hand to the great work of redeeming the wilderness and the building up of some 
of the fairest and richest States of our great Republic. These men came across 
the water believing that in the New World the problem of liberty and of the 
rights of man was undergoing a successful solution, and anxious to give it the aid 
of their support, and receive in return the social equality and personal freedom 
not to be found in the lands whence they came. In their ranks America has 
found .some of her leading statesmen, greatest soldiers and most eminent men. 
The German, the Swede, the Hungarian, have done much in the advancement of 
that section of the country known as the "New Northwest;" and a true repre- 
sentative of their class is found in the man whose name is given above. 

The late Nathan Pereles was one of the leading citizens of Milwaukee for 
many years, and the success which crowned his labors, and the confidence with 
which he was held by all, give evidence, beyond that of any words, to the strength 
and uprightness of his character, and the probity with which he conducted his 
dealings with men. 

He was born on .^pril 2, 1824, in the village of Sobotist, Xeulra county, Hun- 
gary, his parents, Herman and Judith Pereles, being both the children of rabbis> 



438 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY. AND IHJRTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

and themselves being teachers in the village school. As they were very poor the 
son was compelled to make his own way in the world, and when only fifteen 
years old he became a clerk in a wholesale indigo and seed store in the city of 
Prague. 

He had always had a desire for an education, which had been fostered by his 
parents, and supplied so far as it lay in their power to teach him while yet at home; 
and after his entrance into business he attended an evening college and learned 
all that his opportunities and time would permit. He remained in this posi- 
tion for six years, occupying during the last year the position of confidential 
clerk. 

In 1845 ^^^ ambition to better himself, and the stories he had heard of the 
chances to be found by energetic and industrious men in America, led him to cross 
the Atlantic and make the venture for himself. He brought excellent letters of 
recommendation to those who might have advanced his fortune, August Belmont 
being one of the parties addressed; but, after presenting them upon his arrival 
in New York, he decided to look out for himself and make his upward way after 
his own methods. Afraid of no work that was honest, he soon engaged as a 
laborer upon a farm in New Jersey, with the privilege of attending school a por- 
tion of the time in order to acquire the English tongue. In the evening he gave 
lessons in German and French to the young people of the neighborhood, and was 
thus enabled bv his own brains and industry to make his way in the New World 
from the very start. 

In 1847 he decided to try his fortunes in the West, and went directly to Mil- 
waukee, which was thenceforth his home. The small capital he had already man- 
aged to accumulate by industry and economy, was waiting a safe and promising 
place for investment, and while looking about he was in the business employ of 
others. This lasted about a year, when, in company with A. Neustadle and H. 
Scheftels, friends of his youth, he opened a retail grocery store. This arrange- 
ment continued for a time, until in 1849, when he separated from his partners 
and continued in business for himself. He was located on Chestnut street, and 
socn added a dry goods department to his store. He was exceedingly prosperous, 
and soon built up an extensive and profitable trade. Such success had crowned 
his efforts that in 1854 he felt himself so well endowed with worldly goods that 
he could forsake a trade never congenial to his tastes, and perhaps prepare him- 
self for a profession far more in accord with his mental qualities and in which he 
eventually commanded so much success. 

But an unforseen misfortune overtook him and swept away the little fortune 
which his industry and ability had enabled him to secure! He had endorsed for 
friends, and also guaranteed a contract on the new La Crosse Railroad. The 
panic of 1857 came and caught those upon whom he had depended, unprepared 
to withstand the storm, and its full force fell upon him. He paid up his obliga- 
tions, dollar for dollar, but it took from him the last of the $50,000 which he pos- 



Ri;rRi:si-;\TATivK men of the rxiTEn states; wtscoxsix volume. 439 



sessed. Calling to his aid the native push and determination which were salient 
features of his character, and b)- the help of his faithful and industrious wife, he 
once more faced the world, and began again to lay the foundations for a compe- 
tence and security against the needs of old age. He had already spent some of 
his leisure time, after his retirement from business, in the study of law, medicine 
and other branches of learning, but without any special purpose of putting any 
of the knowledge thus acquired to any immediate practical use. 

When the unexpected blow fell that caused him the loss ot his property he 
gave himself to the law in real earnest and pursued its study with careful atten- 
tion and untiring vigor. He entered the office of George W. Chapman, one of 
the best known lawyers of Milwaukee, where he remained for about a year. He 
was admitted to practice September 1 1, 1857. Soon afterward he formed a part- 
nership with R. N. Austin, at present judge of the superior court, under the firm 
name of Austin & Pereles, their office being located on the corner of East Water 
and Wisconsin streets. The firm thus constituted continued lor nine years, when 
D. H. Johnson, now judge of the circuit court, was added, the name of the firm 
being changed to Austin, Pereles & Johnson. 

This business relation was dissolved in 1S69, because of Mr. Pereles 
failing sight, and it was feared for a time that he would lose the use of 
his vision altogether. The severe labor he had given to his briefs and books 
had been too much for him; and only abandonment of labor altogether 
averted the dreadful calamity. He was kept in this condition for six months, 
during which period his physicians would not even allow him to look into a book. 
At the expiration of that period he had sufficiently recovered to resume once 
more active business, and, in order to re-establish a business for his sons, 
opened the office in which he continued during the remainder of his life. In 1874 
he took his sons, J. M. Pereles and T. J. Pereles, into partnership, under the firm 
name of Nath. Pereles & Sons. Since his death the sons have continued under 
the same name and in the same office — Pereles Block, on the corner of East 
Water and Oneida streets, and sustain in an admirable manner the large patron- 
age and high character that their father enjoyed before them. The eldest of the 
two, J. M., has been recently chosen president of the School Board; and the 
younger, T. J., though a staunch Republican, was appointed by a Democratic 
Mayor to the office of Commissioner of Public Debt. The oldest .son, B. F. 
Pereles, is a retired merchant. 

Mr. Pereles' great specialty was commercial and real-estate law; and in that 
department of his profession he was recognized as one of the soundest and ablest 
counselors at the Milwaukee bar. He knew its every branch and ramification; 
and those who took his opinion as to their rights and obligations thereunder sel- 
dom went amiss. He had his hands so full in this line of practice that he was 
unable to take charge of criminal cases; and was never seen in court in that capac- 



44° HIOClRArillCAI, DICTIONAKV AND PORTRAIT C.ALLKRV OF THE 



ity. The purpose he achieved was to build up and maintain a reputation as man- 
ager and trustee of estates, executor and guardian; and all such trusts as were 
lodged in his hands were as sacredly and carefully guarded as though the inter- 
ests involved were altogether his own. He never encouraged litigation, always 
advising his clients to settle when they could do so without loss; and the result 
was that his clientage was not transient, but remained with liiin year in and year 
out. The poor and ignorant came to him with absolute trust and never found 
their confidence misplaced. He saw that their interests were guarded, their rights 
maintained, and that substantial justice was done by all with whom they had to 
deal. The result was that he became popular with all people, and his hands were 
jierpetually full. His reputation for trutli and plain speaking was proverbial; and 
he always stated a case as it seemed to him, regardless ol the effect; and when 
he made a statement of a fact in court it was taken by the judge and opposing 
counsel as the truth, and ci-nclusive so far as it went. He possessed a wonderful 
business sense, great financial skill, and was quick to see a point. 

I le was an excellent judge of character, and seldom misled in his im|Mcssions 
of men. His "bump of caution" was very large, as has been said by one who 
knew him well; and "had he been a banker he would have made a very success- 
ful one. He was very benevolent, of which trait the world knew little. His in- 
dustry was something wonderful. He was never idle a moment, his vi;forous 
constitution, coupled with his strictly temperate life, enabling him to perform an 
amount of labor that few professional men could endure, but which he performed 
with ap|iarent ease. He was entitled to be ranked among tht; best foreign-born 
citizens, one who by industry, economv and tlie practice ot correct prineijiles raised 
himself from poverty to affluence, from obscurity to inominence, and who has 
left a record for honesty, business integrity and usefulness to which his children 
may point with pride." 

Mr. Pereles was a charter member, :• director and a member oi the finance 
committee of the Bank of Commerce, which two years after his death was con- 
solidated with the Merchants' Exchange Bank. He was connected with the Con- 
necticut Mutual Life Insurance Company as its attorney for Wisconsin and 
financial correspondent, a position involving considerable responsibility, which is 
still held by his sons since his death. While outspoken upon all public (|uestions, 
a consistent Republican and a true American citizen in all his beliefs and senti- 
ments, Mr. Pereles refused all connection with )iublie lite, and would accept no 
office, either elective or appointive, though often imiiorluned so to do. His ac- 
quaintance, popularit}', and sound business sense would have made him a power 
in the political field, h id he desired to enter it; but his ambition and desire did 
not lie in that direction, lie always aided his party with his time and money, 
and was ever a liberal subscriber to the canipaiL^n fund. He was a high degree 
Mason, and also one of the charter members of thi' oldest German Odd Fellows' 



RKI'UKSKNTATIVI-: MKN ol- TlIK IMTi;!) STATICS; WISCONSIN ViiUMK. 44 I 



lodjie in Wisconsin, Teutonia, No. 57, of Milwaukee, and at the time of his death 
was one of tlie three original members who were yet living. 

^{'r. Pereles was very happy in his domestic relations, proving himself a de- 
voted husband and a careful and devoted father. lie was married in Milwaukee, 
Mav 22, 1849, to Miss F'annie Tcweles, the daughter of a merchant in Prague, to 
whom he became engaged before his departure for America. He found in her a 
faithful and efficient companion, who assisted him over every difficulty, and was 
ready with her help and sympathy in every hour of trial. She survived him thir- 
teen years, her death occurring March 31, 1892. They had three sons and one 
daughter. 

.\s a son and brother, Mr. Pereles was ever faithful. After he had prospered 
in .\merica, he sent means to bring his parents and two sisters across the sea. It 
was out of his life of busy usefulness that Nathan Pereles was called, on January 
28, 1879. He had been a great rider, and about a year before his death was 
thrown from his horse while taking his morning e.xercise. The result was the 
growth of a tumor, which no skill could retard or drive away. An operation was 
performed, but without avail; and Hnally the disease afifected his spine and the 
action of the heart, and the end speedily came. The less was severely felt, not 
only in his home but in the community at large; and the Milwaukee Sentinel but 
voiced the general sentiment when it declared that "It has been justly said that 
no man in Milwaukee possessed so thoroughly the confidence of business men and 
of the citizens at large, and that his name was a synonym of trust and fidelity." 

In closing this article it may not be inappropriate to quote from the remarks 
made on the occasion of the marriage of Mr. Pereles' only daughter. Miss Julia 
\i.. to Mr. Nathan M. Markwell, May 26, 1892. It is a tender and beautiful tri- 
bute to the memory of a noble man: "Nathan Pereles was one of God's noblest 
masterpieces, and at his birth nature stamped him with the seal of greatness, and 
ujion him showered her very best gifts. She gave him great strength of body, 
md when she created the palace of his mind and furnished it in regal splendor, 
Lipjn the throne she placed a brain of matchless power; she gave him love as 
boundless as the sea, loj'alty to friends, good health, a cheerful disposition, tire- 
less energy, rugged honesty, and modesty without timidity; she planted in his 
heart the love of liberty, the hatred of tyranny, of fraud, of sham; she gave him 
the art of reading human nature, the power to grapple with great problems, and 
to solve them satisfactorily. All these were his, while yet he lay in the cradle, 
ere he recognized his mother's face, or knew the sound of her voice. It wanted 
but Time, with his magic wand, to draw them out, and the force of circumstances 
to bring them into action. With these qualities of head, heart and body, failure 
in life was impossible, and, su])crbly e(|uipped as he was, he mounted the ladder 
of success, and on the topmost height he planted his flag. Success, however, did 
not make him vain, haughty and overbearing; he did not forget his humble 



442 BliiCRAl'lllCAl. lilCTIONAKV AMi I'oRTRAIT C.AI.l.KKV OF THE 



origin, and never was ashamed of it. He had no room in his mind for foolish, 
parvenu pride, and it never found a lodgment in his heart; it was as out of place in 
his nature, as the polar bear is in the tropics, and he was as easy of access to the day 
laborer as to the millionaire, being courteous to all and servile to none." 



HON. JOHN LAWLER, 

PRAIRIE DU CniEN. 

JOHN LAWLER was the eldest son of Patrick and Mary (Cantwell) Lawler 
and was born in a small village in Carlow county, Ireland, on the 4th day of 
May, 1832. In 1836 he came with his parents to America and resided for a few 
years near Jersey City, New Jersey. At the age of fifteen he commenced to work 
for a railroad company in Middletown, New York. Only three years later he be- 
came a foreman at the Erie Railroad docks in Piermont, New York, where he re- 
mained two years. From Piermont he went to Tonawanda, New York, having 
secured a desirable position on the Canandaigua & Niagara Falls Ryilway. 

Not yet of age, he had already given unmistakable proofs of unusual intelli- 
gence and energy, as also of great skill and tact in managing large forces 
of men. 

At that time the far West began to attract the attention of enterprising men 
all over the country. Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, became known for 
their vast agricultural resources. Railroads were laid out; the navigation on 
the Mississippi assumed large proportions. No wonder we find John Lawler 
among the young, ambitious men of the East who were determined to improve the 
opportunities of the rising West. 

But before leaving his Eastern home he chose his companion for life, and 
on May 14, 1854, he was married to Miss Catharine Dinon, of Piermont, New 
York. 

In 1856 Mr. Lawler, with his young wife, left Tonawanda for Chicago where 
he engaged in general railroad work until July i, 1857, when he went to Prairie du 
Chien, Wisconsin, as station agent of the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad, now, 
the Prairie du Chien division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, 
Here at Prairie du Chien it was tliat the promising young railroad official made 
of himself the man who, as John Lawler, of Prairie du Chien, was to be known 
all over the country, not only as a man of wealth and position, but also as one of 
the best men that ever lived, an American gentleman of the noblest type. 

In less than two years after his arrival in Prairie du Chien, Mr. Lawler was 
promoted to the position of general agent of the railroad company, his jurisdiction 
covering a large part" of the Northwest. Prairie du Chien was at that time the 



RKPRKSEXTATIVK MEN' OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 443 

terminus of the road and, as such, the basis of operations for extending the road 
into Iowa, Minnesota, etc., securing the transportation of the rich wheat crops of 
the boundless western prairies, and forwarding passengers and freight shipments 
to points for hundreds of miles along the Mississippi. 

Mr. Lawler ver)- quickly realized the im.portance of his position and proved 
himself perfectly equal to all its demands. A new line of boats was soon added 
to those already in operation on the Mississippi, and Mr. Lawler became president 
of the company which operated them. The railroad, under the name of the 
McGregor & Missouri Railroad, was extended and Mr. Lawler engaged actively 
in its construction, at the time being its vice-president, which position he held 
until the road was absorbed by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul system. 

Mr. Lawler's greatest enterprise, however, was the construction of his famous 
jiontoon bridge over the Mississippi. In 1872 he severed his connection with the 
Milwaukee cS; St. Paul Railway in order to arrange for a bridge for the transfer of 
the cars, which, up to that time, had been handled between Prairie du Chien and 
North McGregor by means of transfer boats. In 1874 the bridge was completed, 
proving a perfect success. It has continued in daily use up to the present. 

Though constantly engaged in large business enterprises, Mr. Lawler al- 
lowed them by no means to absorb all his time and thought. On the contrary, 
work seemed only to expand his powers, not to exhaust them. It was at the very 
busiest period of his life that he became a great reader and student, making up 
for the defects of his early education, adding even the study of Latin to his al- 
ready extensive curriculum. His special motive for doing this is very character- 
istic of the man, showing his thoughtfulness, and above all his deep interest in 
his family. It was the period during which six of his sons were attending college, 
partly at Prairie du Chien, partly at Georgetown, D. C. Though himself no col- 
lege student, he was nevertheless able to control their studies in all branches ex- 
cept the cla.ssics. This discrepancy between himself and his sons he could not 
bear. Paternal interest in their progress and studies as also the most justifiable 
regard for his parental authority prompted him "to be up to his boys" in every 
respect. 

In the years from 1870 to 1880, he spent a great deal of his time and money 
in the erection of schools of various grades. It was principally through his assist- 
ance that the congregation of Prairie du Chien was enabled to open and keep up 
its parochial schools. St. Mary's Institute and St. John's, afterwards Sacred 
Heart, College would never have been founded but for his munificence. 

His generous sacrifices in the cause of education won him not only the grati- 
tude and admiration of countless thousands, but also a rare distinction from His 
Holiness, Pope Leo XHI, who in 1884, upon the joint recommendation of His 
Grace, the late Archbishop lleiss, of Milwaukee, and the Right Reverend Bishop 
P'lasch, of La Crosse, conferred on .Mr. Lawler the Knighthood of St. Gregory the 



444 BIDGRAl'llKAl, Die IIONARV AMI roRIRAir llAl.I.K.RV OK TllK 

Great, a distinction which the recipient ajiprcciatcd reverently, hut nt^ver displayed 
publicly. 

Nor did Mr. Lawler confine his generosity to the educational establishments 
at Prairie du Chien. Many a school farther West received aid from him and the 
records of the Catholic University at Washington. D. C, show the name of John 
Lawler as one of the founders of the students' purse. 

In the affairs of State and country, Mr. Lawler never took part as a poli- 
tician, but always as a patriotic, public-spirited citizen. 

He never aspired to anv political office, though only a couple of years 
prior to his death his name was strongly mentioned for the highest office in 
the State. 

At the time of his death he held the position of a cbrector in the North- 
western Life Insurance Co., ami in the Catholic Colonization Society. 

Apart from this he led for the past few years the life of a retired gentle- 
man in his hajipv home circle. The immense amount of his work, both phy- 
sical and mental, had gradually undermined his powerful constitution. Still, 
to look at him, nobody would have thought that his useful, honorable career 
was so soon to close. Thursday, February 12. 1S91, a little after 4 r. m. Mr. 
Lawler was prostrated by a stroke of paralysis, while engaged in a pleasant 
chat on the streets of Praine du Chien. 

lie retained his full consciousness and, taken home to his pain-stricken family, 
one of his first cares was to receive the last sacraments of the church of which 
he had been so faithful a member. As soon as possible his children, including 
two sons in Dakota and one in St. Paul, Minnesota, were around his sick bed 
vying with their afflicted mother in proof of their most devoted love for their dear 
father. For a few days his powerful constitution, and especially the fact that he 
never lost the use of his reason, justified the hope held out by his physicians that 
he would recover. But on Monday, February 23, a change for the worse set in. 
Once more, in the afternoon of that day, he received holy communion, and at 
one, after midnight February 24, he expired in the peace of his God. 

Useless to attempt to describe the sincere, intense, universal sorrow over such 
a loss! Thursday, February 2(\ at 10:30 o'clock, his funeral was held at St. Gabriel's 
Church amid a concourse of people, friends and priests such as Prairie du Chien 
had never seen before. Solemn requiem mass was celebrated by the rector of St. 
Gabriel, Rev. Greish, S. J., assisted by Rev. Fathers Francis Breymann and W. 
Graffnegg, S. J., as deacon and sub-deacon. 

The funeral sermon was preached by Rev. P. M. Abbelen. of Milwaukee, 
formerly pastor of St. Gabriel's, an intimate friend of the deceased. The pupils 
of St. Mary's Institute had charge of the musical part of the solemn services. 
Besides the fathers, scholastics and novices of Sacred Heart College, there were 
present in the sanctuary: Very Rev. R. Ryan, V. G.. and Rev. Dan. Fogarty, of 
Dubuque, Iowa; Rev. M. O. Carroll, of Oskaloosa, Iowa; Rev. Thomas Fagan. of 





'Mu. 




KKl'kK.SK\rATIVK MK\ OF IIIK IMTKI) STATF.S; WlSCdNSIX VOIA'ME. 447 

Milwaukee; Rev. M. Harnon, of Darlington, Wisconsin; Rev. George Sheehan, of 
Mitchell, South Dakota. The Right Rev. Bishop Flasch, of La Crosse, would have 
conducted the funeral had not sickness prevented him. 

The pall-bearers were D. J. Whittemore, chief engineer C, M. & St. P. Ry. 
Co.; Matthew Keenan, vice-president of the N. W. Mutual Life Ins. Co.; Hon. 
Wm. F. Vilas, United States Senator from Wisconsin; Hon. Wm. J. Onahan, 
city comptroller. Chicago; Hon. Redmond Prindeville, Chicago; Hon. David 
Ferguson, Milwaukee; lion. James Garvev, Prairie du Chien; Wm. D. Merrill, 
Prairie du Chien. His Excellency, G. W. Peck, Ciovernor of Wisconsin, also at- 
tended the funeral. 

Mr. Lawler was buried in St. Gabriel's Cemetery among five of the children. — 
two infant sons, Vincent .A., who died in 1869, and .\ugustine E., who died in 1871 ; 
one infant daughter, Julia P., who died in 1876; and two sons who died as voung 
men, — Lewis D., 1885, and Francis J., 1890. 

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Catharine Dinon Lawler, five sons and 
three daughters, — Hon. John D. Lawler, of Mitchell, So. Dakota, ex-Treasurer of 
Dakota; Thomas C. Lawler, of Prairie du Chien, secretary and treasurer of the 
Prairie du Chien iS: McGregor Railway; Hon. Daniel J. Lawler, attorney-at-law, 
in St. Paul, Minnesota; Mr. Joseph Lawler, bank teller, in Sioux City, Iowa; 
Master Clement Lawler, the youngest son of the family, at the time of his father's 
death a student in the college "Stella Matutina" at Feldkirche, Tyrol. The 
daughters are Miss Mary Lawler, Miss Catherine and Miss Nellie. May they all 
for many years be the consolation of the afflicted mother and forever an honor 
to their noble father. 



COLONEL IIEXR\' A. FRAMBACII, 

K.'\tKAUNA. 

H1'.XR\' .\. I-"R.\.MP>.\C1 1 was born in Syracuse, New York, November 21, 
1840, and is of German descent. His father, Charles A. Frambach, was 
a linguist of considerable prominence, his life having been devoted to the -teaching 
of languages in .some of the best colleges. Mr. Frambach, senior, in 1846, shortly 
after the death of his wife, moved with his family of four children to Racine, Wis- 
consin, where eight years later he too passed away. 

Our subject was at this time fourteen years of age, and thus bereft of paternal 
care was thrown upon his own resources. He obtained a situation on a farm, where 
he worked in the summer .season at a .salar\ of s'l ;i month, and in the winter at- 
tended the adjacent country school, where he laid the foundation of his education. 
In 1857 he crossed the plains, as master of a wagon train at a compensation of $45 
per month. 



448 BIOGRAPIUCAL DICTIONARY AND I'ORTRA.IT GALI.KRV OF THE 



When the war of the Rebellion was inaugurated, Mr. Frambach was operating 
a wood-boat on the Illinois river. Ikit upon learning of the hostilities in the 
South, pri\-at(> ambition was suljordinated to patriotism, and he disposed of his 
boat and at once enlisted in Company G, Sixty-first Illinois Infantry. 

He was with Grant in the campaign down the Mississippi in 1862, serving 
as a ]")rivat(^ till after the battle of Shiloh, when he was detailed to the most respons- 
ible and dangerous department of army work — the secret service. He served gal- 
lantly in this capacity in the department of .the Tennessee under Generals Logan, 
Brayman and others until 1863, at which time he received the appointment as 
chief of the secret service in the department of Arkansas, with the rank of Colonel. 

After the close of the war he retained his connection with the secret service, 
engaging at the same time in the mercantile business in St. Louis, Mo. 

In 1872, Col. Frambach came to Kaukauna, where in company with his brother 
he built the first paper mill in that city, located where the Kaukauna Paper Mill 
now stands. He was also at the same time engaged in mercantile pursuits. 

From 1878 to 1880 he operated the Menasha Paper & Pulp Co. 's mills at Men- 
asha, returning to Kaukauna in 1880, where he operated the Eagle Paper Mill, in 
which he was formerly interested, until its destruction by fire in August, 1880. 

This mill he rebuilt himself and it was operated as the Frambach Paper 
Mill. In 1881 he with others organized the Union Pulp Co. His interest in 
both of these establishments he disposed of to the Van Nortwick syndicate in 
1884, and then, in company with Hon. Joseph Vilas, of Manitowoc, organized the 
Badger Paper Company, and at once commenced the erection of its plant, 
which was ready for work in 1885. Col. Frambach is vice-president and treas- 
urer of the company, which is one of the most prosperous of the many paper mills 
in this section, and its success is in a great measure due to his tact and managerial 
ability. 

But Colonel Frambach is not only a successful manager: he is an able 
financier as well. He established the Manufacturers' Bank of South Kaukauna in 
1886, and in 1888 organized the First National Bank of Kaukauna, with a capital 
of $50,000, — one of the soundest and safest financial institutions in tin- State, and 
whose directory includes some of the wealthiest citizens of Kaukauna and Apple- 
ton. Of this bank Colonel Frambach is president, an office he has held ever since 
its organization. He is also president of the Brokaw Pulp Co. and of the 
Wood Pulp Supply Co., and general manager of the Quinnesec Falls Co. 

In his political views the Colonel is a strong Republican and one of the party 
leaders in his district. In 1876 he was elected a member of the Board ot Town 
Supervisors and chosen chairman of that body. 

In 1893 he was his party's nominee for Congress, but was not elected. 
He was also Kaukauna's first Mayor, and has held other offices of honor and 
trust. 

In 1893 he was- chosen president of the American Paper Makers' Exhibit Co. 



Kl-:rKKSKNTATIVE MKN OK THK IMTEI) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 449 

at the \\'orld's Columbian Exposition, a position his knowledge of and experience 
in llu' papcr-nianutactiirinfj; business admirably fitted him for. 

C(.l. Frambach was married in 1865 to Miss Fannie M. Claspill, of Spring- 
Held, 111., and of this union have been born five children — Katherine, now Mrs. 
\\ . 11. dray, of Kaukauna; Henry J., Arthur, Edward and Charles. 

The members of the family are attendants at the Congregational church. 

Colonel Frambach has gained a most enviable reputation as a generous man, 
and public-spirited citizen, and is deservedly po])ular with those with whom he is 
associated. 

Since 1873 hv has b(-en a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
lows, has filled all the chairs, and for five or six years was deputy of the Sixth 
District. 

In 1887 he became a member of the Masonic fraternity: has been treas- 
urer of Kaukauna Lodge, \o. 237, tor a number of years, and is a member of 
Wi.sconsin Consistory. 

Colonel Frambach is a man who can throw oft the cares of business at the close 
of business hours, and gets all the jileasurc possible out of lite. lie is tond oi 
good horses, and is the owner ot a string of sjicedy colts, as good as any in the 
State. For his personal use he owns and drives the best road team in his section 
of the country. 

Colonel Frambach is distinctly a self-made man, and all he possesses has been 
acquired by his own exertions. He is indebted to no man but himself tor his suc- 
cess in life. 



NATHAN R. ALLEN, 



THE UNOSTENTATIOUS routine of private life, although vastly more im- 
portant to the welfare of the community, has not figured to any great extent 
in the pages of history. But the names of men who have distinguished them- 
selves by the possession of those qualities of character which mainly contribute to 
the success of private life and to the public stability, and who have enjoyed the 
respect and confidence of those around them, should not be permitted to perish. 
Their example is more valuable to the majority of readers than that of heroes, 
statesmen and writers, as they furnish means of subsistence for the many whom 
they in their useful careers have employed. Such are the thoughts that involun- 
tarily come to our minds when we consider the life of him whose name initiates 
this sketch. 

Nathan R. Allen first saw the light in the Empire State. He was the son of 
Zadock and Esther (Richardson) Allen, and was born at Whitesboro, on the 3d 



450 lUoGKAl'IIICAT. MlCTKiNARV AM) rdRrKAll' C.Al.l.KRV OK TIIK 

day of February, 1812. His father was an industrious farmer, who needed the 
ser.vices of his children in the labors of cultivating the homestead, and was 
thoroughly American in all his thoughts and actions, — a man of uncommon energy, 
but of sterling qualities of mind and heart. Though not a member of any church, 
he was a firm believer in Christianity and its institutions, and always seta good 
example for his children to follow. The mother of our subject descended from 
English ancestors, from whom she inherited her active and energetic physical 
qualities, her industrv and mental strength. She died, however, when our subject 
was yet a child. 

When of suitable age Mr. Allen was sent to the only source of educational 
advantages then afforded,, the district school, which he attended during the win- 
ters for several terms, afterward teaching in the same locality, near Fulton, Os- 
wego county, New York. Like man}^ young men of the period he was possessed 
of the spirit of adventure and longed for the promising fields of the far West, and 
accordingly he moved, in 1835, to Wisconsin, where he arrived August 17. Here 
he at once entered the employ of Mr. John Bullen, Jr., and remained until the fol- 
lowing May, when he began farming by pre-empting 160 acres of land. Later he 
bought an additional 160 acres. He continued farming until 1840, when he spent 
a year in visiting his family in the East. Upon his return West, in 1841, he 
formed a jiartnership with Mr. Samuel Hale, who afterward became his brother- 
in-law, and James M. Stryker, under the firm name of Hale, Stryker & Allen, and 
carried on a general mercantile business. He also erected stores and a dwelling 
house, which latter was the first brick house built in Kenosha. In the spring of 
1842 he bought out the interests of Samuel Hale and the business was continued 
under the name of Stryker & Allen. The business enterprises of Mr. Allen were 
always financially successful; but, desiring a change, he withdrew from the con- 
cern six months later and served the greater part of 1844 as Highway Commis- 
sioner. In 1845 he was elected Constable and Collector, which positions he held 
for a period of five years, filling the places with credit to himself and to the satis- 
faction of his fellow townsmen. Racine county was, however, divided in 1850, and 
Leonard Crocker, who was then Sheriff, appointed Mr. Allen as Deputy Sheriff, 
and the following year he was elected to fill Mr. Crocker's place. The first ex- 
perience in stock speculations Mr. Allen received before he left home in 1835. 
He invested his entire capital of $30 in three shares of the Western Emigration 
Company, of which he thereby became one of the original stockholders. This 
company was organized in Hannibal Center, Oswego county, New York. The 
money Mr. Allen so invested he had earned by teaching school the previous win- 
ter. He realized just $3 on his investment of $30, and afterward let stock spec- 
ulations alone. 

In the year 1853, Mr. Allen formed a partnership with James M. Stryker 
and John A. Brooks, with whom he embarked in the lumber business and con- 
tinued two years i.n this partnership, when he withdrew. In 1S57 in company 



REPRESEN'TATIVK MEN f)E THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 45 1 



with Levi Grant and William Vercelius, Mr. Allen began the building of a tannery, 
but Mr. \'ercelius sold his interest to Mr. Allen in 1857, though he still kcjit his 
position with the company and acted as their foreman. Mr. Grant, however, re- 
tained his interest in the business until 1863, when he sold out to Mr. William II. 
Smith, who in time sold to Mr. Allen, who thereby became sole owner of the en- 
tire plant. On June 21, 1866, the first serious calamity happened to Mr. Allen, 
bv the burnino- of his entire tanner}-; but iihcenix-like it soon reared its head, 
greater than ever, and to-da}' it is one of the largest tanneries in the State of Wis- 
consin, doing at the time of Mr. .Allen's death a business aggregating more than 
$1,000,000 per annum. In May, 1870, finding that the business was becoming too 
much for one man to attend to, and also feeling the necessity of congenial as- 
sistance, Mr. Allen conferred a partnership upon his eldest son, Charles W. Allen. 
Since that time the latter has been actively engaged in the business and become 
thoroughly acquainted with every detail connected with the same. In 1878, a 
similar honor was conferred upon the second son, Nathan R. Allen, Jr., who is 
now his brother's partner. Under their fostering care the business is being con- 
tinued and constantly increased. 

The political faith of Mr. Allen was staunchly Democratic from his earliest 
manhood, but one unattended by any desire for political preferment. Though he 
held man\- political offices of public trust, thc\' were always conferred upon him 
without regard to his political aftiliations, and this fact tends to show the high re- 
gard in which he was held liy the citizens of this town. He was a strcmg anti- 
slavery man; was a Republican during the war and afterward acted with the Dem- 
ocratic party, without, however, any radical change of views. He was in turn for 
three years a village Trustee before the incorporation of the city, Alderman for two 
terms, member of the Board of Supervisors and a member of the School Board. 

Mr. Allen was married, October 25, 1843, to Mary Hale, a daughter of Samuel 
Hale, Esq.. of Oneida county. New York, and she was to him a true helpmeet. 
With her he left four living children: Charles W. Allen, Nathan R. Allen, Miss 
Julia C. Allen and Clara C. Allen, now Mrs. Charles R. Arnold, of Milwaukee, 
Wisconsin. 

Though Mr. Allen was not a member of anv church, he with his family was 
a constant attendant at the Congregational church, of Kenosha, and was highly 
respected by both pastor and people. He was socially inclined and set great store 
upon having his friends and acquaintances congregated around his hospitable board, 
and rarely indeed did he leave the home which meant .so much to him and where 
he felt so haj^py. Five days before his death he contracted a severe cold, which 
rapidly develojied into pneumonia, and terminated fatally on April 19, 1890. 
Thus it is that death often summons those who can be spared the least and 
whose places are hard to lill. lie had rounded the jisalmist's span of three-score 
years and ten with his mental and physical qualities unimpaired, overcoming the 
ordinary and usual cares and weaknesses of age by active interest and participa- 



45- 



HIOGRAPHICAL DICTIOXARV AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



tion in the living issues and contests of the day, personally superintending his 
business to the time of his death. He was surrounded at his home by those who, 
without any regard to political or religious affiliations, were his warm personal 
friends, and he was revered throughout the community by many who had been 
associated with him. 

The career of Nathan R. Allen is a striking exemplification of the preservative 
and conservative tendencies of public and commercial life. He was not so ab- 
normally developed in any one direction as to be called a genius, but he was the 
strongest, because the fullest rounded, — the most even and most self-masterful of 
men, and one who in his day and generation acted so well his part as public officer 
and private citizen that his loss was mourned by the entire city, — a city that had 
been enriched by his example, his character and his labors. 



HENRY J. FALL, 



A VALUABLE example of the efficiency-of self-help, when accompanied by 
untiring industry and integrity, is found in the life of him whose name heads 
this sketch. Beginning with even less than the proverbial shilling he has suc- 
ceeded in accumulating a comfortable fortune and won the esteem of every man 
with whom he has been connected in his various enterprises. 

Henry Jefferson Fall was born in the town of Onondaga, Onondaga county. 
New York, March 15, 1845, and is the son of Townsend and Lucretia (Sholas) Fall. 
In boyhood our subject assisted his father, who was a tanner and who also owned 
a farm.. His educational opportunities were limited to the common school of his 
neighborhood, which he attended until his seventeenth year. 

About the time of the breaking out of the war the death of his father com- 
pelled him to seek his own living. When President Lincoln issued his call for 
volunteers, young Fall, then but a boy in years, enlisted in the Second Pennsyl- 
vania Sharpshooters, and served with the army on patrol duty in Virginia and 
Tennessee. In the following year, 1863, he was mustered out because of dis- 
ability. 

Realizing the superior opportunities the West offered to energetic young menT 
Mr. Fall went thither and settled at Taylor's Falls, Minnesota, where he obtained 
employment at ordinary labor in saw mills. As an employe he displayed those 
qualities that have enabled him to succeed in life, and he was soon advanced above 
his co-workers and was placed in charge of mills and also acted as foreman in log- 
ging camps. 





-TOAf 



RErRESENTATIVK MEN OE THE rXITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 455 



In 1878 he became part owner of a portable saw mill located at or near Clear 
Lake, and in connection witli a partner, under the firm name of Fall & Jones, con- 
ducted a prolitable business tor one year. The followin<:; years (1879 and 1880), 
lie became interested in the firm of Glover (S; Johnson at New Richmond, Wisconsin. 
While there he also became connected with the Will River Lumber Company and 
was \ery successful in his operations. In 1885 he formed a co-partnership with 
1\. I I. McCoy, who at that time was cashier of the Will River Lumber Company, 
and, organizing the firm of Fall & McCoy, retired entirely from all connections at New 
Richmond. The new firm began their operations at Lakeland, Minnesota, where 
they conducted an exceedingly successful business until January i, 1893; then 
Mr. Fall with his family moved to Hudson, Wisconsin. Not desiring, however, 
to retire from business, he, the following May, purchased at Rhinelander, Wiscon- 
sin, the mill then owned by the Rib River Lumber Company, which he has success- 
fully operated since. Mr. Fall has always paid special attention to the lumber 
business and has not sought connection in any other direction. The only time he 
deviated from his rule was in 1884, when he in company with a partner engaged 
in the mercantile business at New Richmond, Wisconsin, under the firm name of 
Fall t\; Thompson. This connection, though comparatively successful, terminated 
the following year (1885), when Mr. Fall sold his New Richmond interests and re- 
moved to Lakeland, Minnesota. 

During these many years of active business life Mr. I'all has earned lor himself 
an honorable name and a handsome competency. Unceasing energy and honesty 
of purpose are his chief characteristics asa,business man, and it is his well-founded 
pride that in no part of his commercial life has his word been called in question. 
In political life he is thoroughly independent, but leans to the doctrines of De- 
mocracy. He is thoroughly patriotic in his feelings and does not let his own busi- 
ness interests blind him to the welfare of the mass. He is a strong believer in men 
in preference to parties, and so votes as to secure for public offices the best men 
obtainable. 

Mr. Fall has been married twice, the first time, in 1866, to Miss Maggie 
Manning, of Taylor's Falls. She was a most estimable woman, who died in 1881, 
survived by three children, Harvey T., Nellie M., and Edward IL 

In 1882 he was married to Miss Ida Thoinpson, a resident of Washington 
county, Minnesota. They are the parents of two daughters, Florence T. and 
Hazel M. 

In social circles Mr. Fall is much esteemed. He is a member of the order of 
Freemasons, in which he has attained the thirty-second degree, Scottish rites, and 
is also a noble of the Mystic Shrine; he has held the position of General is.simo of 
the Wisconsin Commandery for three years, and as an Odd Fellow and a member 
of the Encampment has also held many offices. 

While living at Lakeland, Mr. Fall was nominated for Representative by the 
Democratic party, but as the district is a Republican stronghold, he was defeated, 



456 BIOGRArHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

though he succeeded in greatly reducing the RepubHcan majority. The success 
of Mr. Fall in his business is directly attributable to hard work. Having come West 
while yet a young man and being peculiarly fitted for his business, he has readily 
kept pace with the rapid development of the county and, in fact, has been one of 
the prominent factors in the growth of northwestern and northern Wisconsin. 
His knowledge of his business is recognized by all, and his qualities as a man have 
received for him the highest esteem of the people of his community. 



MATTHEW H. CARPENTER, 

MILWAUKKK. 

ON the 2 2d of December, 1824, at Moretown, Washington county, Vermont- 
a son was born to the wife of an eminent lawyer and citizen of prominence, 
and the parents, as if the spirit of prophesy wefe upon them, named the child 
after the great English jurist, Matthew Hale Carpenter. When the boy had 
reached the age of eleven years his mother died, and Paul Dillingham, afterward 
Governor of the State, having charged himself with his education, Matthew be- 
came a member of his family at Waterbury. 

In 1843 John Mattocks, being then the Representative to Congress from that 
district, procured for young Carpenter an appointment as cadet in the military 
academy at West Point. It opens a curious field for speculation to reflect what 
might have been his career if he had persevered in the profession thus chosen for 
him. He was a classmate in the academy of General Fitz John Porter and 
others who attained prominence in the war of the Rebellion, and it is not incon- 
ceivable that he might have proved to have the making of a great captain in him : 
but it is not altogether easy to think of him as leading a fierce onset at Chicka- 
mauga or storming an angle of the entrenchments in the wilderness. At all 
events the possibility of that spectacle was denied us by a weakness of the eyes 
which made it necessary for him to resign his cadetship at the expiration of his 
second year. 

Returning to Waterbury in the summer of 1845, he entered upon the study 
of the law in the office of Mr. Dillingham, and two years later was admitted to 
the bar at Montpelier. Soon after he removed to Boston and finished his studi-es 
in the office of Rufus Choate. It is known that he enjoyed in a peculiar degree 
the intimacy of Mr. Choate, and the formative influence of that incomparable, 
lawyer upon his admiring disciple is by no means difficult to discern. 

In the spring of 1848 Mr. Carpenter was admitted to practice by the Supreme 
Judicial Court of Massachusetts, and the same year removed to Beloit, Wisconsin, 



KKl'RKSKNTATIVK MKN dl' TIIK I NIIKI) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 457 



where he opened an office. He was almost wholly destitute of means, and the 
beginning; of his professional career was further embarrassed by a recurrence of 
the disease of his eyes, which became so serious as to make it necessary for him 
to go to New York for treatment. For over a year he was almost wholly blind. 

In 1S5J Mr. Carpenter was the candidate tor District Attorney of Rockcountv. 
The election was contested, and the case was taken to the Supreme Court, where 
it was decided in his favor. The case is a leading one in the reports, and Mr. 
Carpenter himself had occasion to cite it when he was arguing the cause of the 
State, Bashford vs. Barstow. The appearance of Mr. Carpenter in this important 
cause, involving no less a question than the possession of the Governorship of the 
State, is an evidence of the standing that he had attained when he had barely 
closed the third decade of his life. He was associated with eminent counsel, but 
it seems to have been left to him to project, and mainly defend the principle 
upon which Governor Barstow resisted the writ of ijuo warranto filed in behalf 
of the contestant Bashford. His position was that the three branches of the 
State Government are co-ordinate, and that it is not competent for the Supreme 
Court to pass upon the lawfulness of the incumbenc}' of the executive office. The 
decision of the court was adverse, but Mr. Carpenter's argument will nonetheless 
impress the professional reader as ingenious and powerful. 

Mr. Carpenter removed to Milwaukee in 1856. He was for a number of years 
engaged in the intricate and embarrassing litigation arising out of the construc- 
tion and consolidation of certain railroads in Wisconsin, and maintained the 
rights of his clients with great ability and persistency. His practice was now 
large, and as lucrative as his rather easy financial habits could make it; and his 
fame was rapidly extending. When a case arose that involved the determination, 
by the Supreme Court of the United States, of the constitutionality of the recon- 
struction acts, Secretary Stanton retained him as one of the counsel for the Gov- 
ernment. His argument won for him general recognition as one of the foremost 
constitutional lawyers of his time, and it is scarcely extravagant to say that the 
civil governments existing to-day in eleven States of the Union rest upon the prin- 
ciple enunciated and supported by him on that occasion. 

In 1876, for the first time, happily, in the history of the Republic, a Cabinet 
Minister, in the person of W. W. Belknap, Secretary of War, was impeached 
before the Senate of the United States for high crimes and misdemeanors in 
office. The respondent retained for his defense Jeremiah S. Black, ex-Attorney 
General; Montgomery M. Blair, ex-Postmaster General, and Mr. Carpenter. 
There could have been no higher compliment to Mr. Carpenter than the fact that 
his associates, who had stood for years in the very front rank of the American bar, 
resigned to him the entire management of the case, which he conducted to a suc- 
cessful issue. 

The trial of the title to tlie jiresidency of the United States before the elec- 
loral commission, erected for the purpose by special act of Congress, was another 



458 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT (lALLERY OF THE 

occasion that enlisted the best professional talent in the Union. Mr. Carpenter 
was retained by Mr. Tilden to submit an argument in favor of counting the votes 
of the Democratic candidates for electors in Louisiana, and he performed the 
duty with the ability that he has never failed to bring to bear upon questions of 
this important and delicate character. 

We have thus sketched imperfectly some of the most conspicuous appear- 
ances of Mr. Carpenter strictly in the character of a lawyer. They by no means 
fairly represent the character or extent of his professional labors. From 1870 to 
his decease, though maintaining a residence at Milwaukee, he kept an office at 
Washington, and practiced mainly before the Supreme Court of the United 
States; and his services were retained in very many of the most important cases 
that have been heard before that tribunal. 

Mr. Carpenter had been a Democrat from the time that he attained his ma- 
jority, and in the election of i860, supported Douglas for the presidency. Upon 
the attempt of the South to destroy the Union, without formally dissociating him- 
self from that party, he gave his support to the war policy of the administration, 
and delivered a series of addresses in that behalf that were characterized by great 
eloquence and patriotic fervor. Subsequently he publicly affiliated with the Re- 
publican party, and in 1S69 was chosen to succeed James R. Doolittle in the 
Senate of the United States. 

It is not proposed to dwell upon his political career. It should be mentioned, 
however, that he was the author of the acts reconstructing in some respects the 
Federal courts, and enlarging their jurisdiction to the limits prescribed by the 
constitution. He was twice chosen President pro tempore of the Senate, and 
presided over that body during several sessions, in discharging which duty he ex- 
hibited thorough learning and aptitude as a parliamentary lawyer. 

At the expiration of his term Mr. Carpenter was nominated by the caucus of 
Republican members of the Legislature for re-election, but was defeated by a 
combination of certain Republican members with the Democrats. In 1879 he was 
chosen to succeed Timothy O. Howe in the United States Senate, and took his 
seat again in that body after an interval of four years. It mav be worthy of 
remark in this connection, that his celebrated " Janesville speech" was the great 
cause of his defeat in 1875; yet he considered that the best speech he had ever 
made, and carefully preserved a printed copy of it. 

His return to Washington after his re-election to the Senate was signalized 
by a popular demonstration that illustrated forcibly the enthusiastic feeling, for 
which admiration is a cold term, in which he was held among those who had 
come to know him even by casual contact. 

His most conspicuous effort during his second senatorial term was, perhaps, 
his argument in the case of General Fitz John Porter. Senator Logan, in a long 
and laborious speech, had reviewed the facts. Mr. Carpenter confined himself to 
the questions of law. With the impregnable logic and irresistible aptness of illus- 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 459 

tration that characterized him in dealing with legal issues, he combated the pend- 
ing bill. The result was notable. The friends of the bill had a clear majority 
when the debate was opened. After Senator Carpenter's argument they put for- 
ward their two ablest champions to reply. Both failed, and they did not deem it 
expedient to press the measure to a vote. The instances are rare in the history 
of legislation where a measure having the undivided support in its inception of 
the members of the majority party, reinforced by some members of the minority, 
has been thus balked by a single speech. 

In June, 1880, Senator Carpenter attended the Republican national conven- 
tion at Chicago, though not as a delegate, and addressed an open-air mass meet- 
ing that was called to promote the nomination of General Grant. But his health 
was greatly impaired, and he was not able to remain in Chicago to the close of 
the convention. In the campaign that followed his condition made it impossible 
for him to participate. When Congress assembled in December he was in his 
seat, but his attendance was irregular, and it was evident that the inexorable dis- 
ease from which he was suffering was advancing rapidly to its dread consumma- 
tion. The final scene was sketched with great power and pathos by Honorable 
Arthur MacArthur, in an address before the Wisconsin Association at Wash- 
ington. 

His death occurred on the 24th day of February, 1881. The grief that it 
inspired knew no boundaries in geography or partisanship, and the rush of events 
incident to the approaching incoming of a new national administration could not 
benumb the deep sense of bereavement that reached the remotest confines of the 
republic. At the next meeting of the Judiciary Committee of the Senate of the 
United States, the following resolution was adopted: 

" During a period of nearly eight years' service on this committee, Senator 
Carpenter's intellectual ability, profound legal learning, and remarkable industry 
commanded the admiration of all who served with him, while his uniformly cour- 
teous, kind and agreeable manners won and retained their affection." 

The bar of the Supreme Court of the United States assembled on the 8th of 
March. Allan G. Thurman was chosen to preside, and, in taking the chair, deliv- 
ered an address of high, if discriminating, eulogy, in the course of which he used 
this language, which could be justified on few occasions of like character: 

"I am well aware of the proneness to extravagance that has too often character- 
ized eulogies of the dead, whether delivered from the pulpit, in the forum, or in the 
Senate-hou.se. But I feel a strong conviction, that however exalted may be the 
jiraise spoken here to-day, it will not transcend the merits of its object, or oltend 
the taste of the most scrupulous and truth -loving critic. 

"Mr. Carpenter's whole career was honorable and brilliant. He was the archi- 
tect of his own fortune and fame. He jios.sessed the advantages of inherited 
poverty, and was thus in his youth thrown upon his own resources. He learned 
'■:irly the useful lesson of self-reliance, and the necessit)' of industrious self-exer- 



460 P.IlUiKAi'IIICAI. DICTIONARY AND I'ORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



tion, receiving only such aid as his genial manners and bright and active mind 
gained from those generous friends who perceived in his youth the germs which 
promised future distinction, and who were willing to extend a helping hand to 
struggling genius. He was a close student, and loved books. 

"Mr. Carpenter possessed a fine person, was social, pleasant, and winning in 
his manners. As a speaker he was fluent, logical and eloquent, and possessed in 
a high degree the charm of manner and magnetic power over his hearers, which 
are essential elements of popular oratory. He delighted and captivated popular 
audiences; but his oratory was not of the flowery and superficial kind. He was a 
man of learning and of thought. He not only pleased by his st3'le and manner, 
but his reasoning convinced his hearers. His independence of thought and char- 
acter sometimes led him to advocate that side of questions which was unpopular 
with the people or with his party; and he was fearless in supporting any cause 
which he undertook to advocate. He defended Credit Mobelier and back pay. 
He acted as one of the leading counsel for General Belknap, on his impeachment 
and trial before the United States Senate; and he appeared as one of the leading 
counsel for Mr. Tilden in the great contest for the Presidential office before the 
Electoral Commission. His nature was genial, kindly and generous; he had no 
malice in his composition; and he did not excel in that lowest order of intellectual 
ability which impels its possessor to the use of invective and vituperation. The 
taste for such displays of his intellectual powers was wholly foreign to his nature, 
and perhaps fortunately beyond his ability. But in his whole public career, in the 
courts, in the Senate, and in the popular discussion of political questions, he was 
animated in a larger degree with a spiiit of chivalry, tempered by the elevating 
culture of 'modern civilization,' which throws a halo of honor and fame around 
the ph3'sical warfare of those knights of the Middle Ages who became famous for 
their prowess in battle and for their generous forbearance in the hour of victory." 

The remarks of Mr. Jeremiah S. Black are given in full, not only on account 
of the standing of the speaker at the bar, but because of his peculiar intimacy with 
Mr. Carpenter and his sympathetic and accurate knowledge of his abilit}' and 
character: 

"The American bar has not often suffered so great a misfortune as the death 
of Mr. Carpenter. He was cut off when he was rising as rapidly as at any pre- 
vious period. In the noontide of his labors the night came wherein no man can 
work. To what height his career might have reached, if he had lived and kept 
his health another score of years, can now be only a speculative question. But 
when we think of his great wisdom and his wonderful skill in the forensic use of 
it, together with his other qualities of mind and heart, we cannot doubt that in 
his left hand would have been uncounted riches and abundant honor, if only length 
of days had been given to his right. As it was, he distanced his contemporaries 
and became the peer of the greatest among those who had started long before 
him. 



KKl'KKSKNTATIVK MKN OK TIIK INTIKI) STAIKS; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 46 1 



••'I'hc intelleclual character of no professional man is harder to anal3'ze than 
his. lie was gifted with an eUxjuence peculiar to himself. It consisted of free 
and fearless thought, given through expression powerful and perfect. It was not 
fine rhetoric, fos he seldom resorted to poetic illustration; nor did he make a 
]xirade of clenching his facts. He often warmed with feeling, but no bursts of pas- 
sion deformed the svmmetry of his argument. The flow of his speech was steady 
and strt)ng as the current of a great river. Every sentence was perfect; every 
wt)rd was fitly spoken; each apple of gold was set in its picture of silver. This 
singular faculty of saying everything just as it ought to be said was not displayed 
only in the Senate and in the courts, — everywhere, in public and private, on his 
legs, in his chair, and even lying on his bed, he always 'talked like a book.' 

"I have sometimes wondered how he got this curious felicity of diction. He 
knew no language but his mother tongue. The Latin and Greek which he learned 
in boyhood faded entirely out of his memory before he became a full-grown man. 
At West Point he was taught French and^spoke it fluently; in a few years after- 
ward he forgot every word of it. But perhaps it was not lost, a language for any 
kind of literature, though forgotten, enriches the mind as a crop of clover ploughed 
down fertilizes the soil. 

■'His vouth and earl\- manhood was full of the severest trials. After leaving the 
military academy he studied law in \'ermont, and was admitted, but con.scientiously 
refused to practice without further jireparation. He went to Boston, where he was 
most generousl}- taken into the office of Mr. Choate. He soon won not only the 
good opinion of that very great man, but his unqualified admiration and unbounded 
confidence. With the beneficence of an elder brother, Choate paid his way through 
the years of his toilsome study, and afterward supplied him with the means of start- 
ing in the West. The bright prospect which opened before him in Wisconsin was 
suddenl}- overshadowed by an appalling calamity. His eyes gave way, and trusting 
to the treatment of a quack, his sight was wholly extinguished. For three years he 
was stone-blind, 'the world by one sense quite shut out.' Totally disabled and 
compassed round with impenetrable darkness, he lost everything except his cour- 
age, his hope, and the never-failing friendship of his illustrious preceptor. Sup- 
ported by these he was taken to an infirmary at New York, where, after a long time, 
his vision was restored. Subsequent to these events, and still under the auspices 
of Mr. Choate, he returned to Wisconsin and fairly began his professional life. 

"It would be interesting to know what effect upon his mental character was pro- 
duced by his blindness. I believe it elevated, refined and strengthened all his fac- 
ulties. Before that time much reading had made him a very full man; when read- 
ing became impossible, reflection digested his knowledge into practical wisdom. 
I le perfectly arranged his store-house of facts and cases, and pondered intently 
upon the first principles of jurisprudence. Thinking with all his might, and always 
thinking in English, he forgot his French, and acquired that surprising vigor and 
accuracv of English expression which compels us to admit that if he was not a 
classical scholar, he was himself a classic of most original type. 



462 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT OALLERV OF THE 

"He was not merely a brilliant advocate, learned in the law, and deeply skilled 
in its dialectics; in the less show}' walks of the profession he was uncommonly 
powerful. Whether drudging at the business of his office as a common-law at- 
torney and equity pleader, or shining as leader in a great nisi prius cause, he was 
equally admirable, ever read}' and perfectly suited to the place he was filling. This 
capacity for work of all kinds was the remarkable part of his character. With his 
hands full of a most multifarious practice he met jiolitical duties of great magni- 
tude. As a Senator and party leader lie had burdens and responsibilities under 
which, without more, a strong man might have sunk. But this man's shoulders 
seemed to feel no weight that was even inconvenient. If Lord Brougham did 
half as much labor in quantity and variety, he deserved all the admiration he won 
for versatility and patience. 

"Mr. Carpenter's notions of professional ethics were pure and high-toned. He 
never acted upon motives of lucre or malice. He would take what might be called 
a bad case, because he thought that every man should have a fair trial; but he 
would use no falsehood to gain it; he was true to the court as well as to the client. 
He was the least mercenary of all lawyers; a large proportion of his business was 
done for nothing. 

"Outside of his family he seldom spoke of his religious opinions. He was not 
accustomed to give in his experience, — never at all to me. He firmly believed in 
the morality of the New Testament, and in no other .system. If you ask whether 
he practiced it perfectly, I ask in return: Who has? Certainly not you or I. He 
was a gentle censor of our faults; let us not be rigid with his. One thing is cer- 
tain, his faith in his own future was strong enough to meet death as calmly as he 
would expect the visit of a friend. Upwards of a year since his physicians told him 
that he would certainly die in a few months; and he knew they were right; but 
with that inevitable doom coming visibly nearer every day, he went about his busi- 
ness with a spirit as cheerful as if he had a long lease of life before him. 

"I think for certain reasons that my personal loss is greater than the rest of 
you have suffered. But that is a 'fee grief due to my particular breast.' It is 
enough to say for myself, that 1 did love the man in his lifetime and do honor to 
his memory, now that he is dead. " 

The obsequies consequent upon the death of Senator Carpenter at Washing- 
ton, and subsequently at Milwaukee, were grand and imposing; at the latter city 
almost the entire population were out on the occasion. Among the distinguished 
members of the committee of the Senate who escorted the body to Wisconsin was 
Roscoe Conklin, upon whom it devolved .to formally transmit the sacred trust to* 
the charge of the authorities who assumed the charge. On this occasion that dis- 
tinguished gentleman made use of the following beautiful sentiment, addressing 
Governor William E. Smith: "Deputed by the Senate of the United States, we 
bring back the ashes of Wisconsin's illustrious son, and tenderly return them to 
the great commonwealth he served so faithfully and loved so well. To Wisconsin 



RErRKSlCNTATIVK MEN OF THK IMTED STATES; WISCONSIN VOIAME. 46' 



ihis pale and sacred clay belongs, but the memory, the services, and the fame of 
Mattluw Hale Carpenter are the nation's treasures, and long will the sister States 
mourn the bereavement which bows all hearts to-day." To this Governor Smith 
appropriately and feelingly responded. Mr. Carpenter was buried in the beautiful 
I'orest Home cemetery in the suburli of Milwaukee. 

Mis family, consisting of Mrs. Carpenter, daughter Lillian, and son Paul, 
reside at the family mansion in Milwaukee, and ample means were left by Mr. 
Carpenter to insure the comfort of his family for life. 

The writer who shall attemjit to analyze the life, talents and character of 
Matt. H. Carpenter will perhaps find a key in the proposition that he was above 
all else a lawyer. This fact -formed his mental habits, shaped his convictions, 
and in no slight degree molded his moral constitution. It accounts for some of 
the most notable achievements and some of the errors that his most elaborate 
biographer will be called upon to record. His best speeches in the Senate have 
been delivered when he had to deal with legal questions and such as called for the 
essentially lawyer-like method of discussion. When the occasion arose for a 
broader grasp, and for a manner of treatment that may be called statesmanlike, 
in contradistinction to lawyer-like, he was sometimes disappointing. Moreover, 
he seems at times to have expended less effort in keeping his party right than in 
showing how ingeniously it could be defended when it was wrong. 

Mr. Carpenter's brilliant success at the bar and his conspicuous services in 
the arena of national legislation won for him a more than continental reputation, and 
attracted to him in a high degree the attention of his fellow-countrymen, so that 
in his day he was one of the most conspicuous of Americans, It is the fate of all 
who occupy so prominent a place in the public eye to be the subject of some pop- 
ular delusions, and Mr. Carpenter did not escape. One of these is deserving of 
correction for the benefit of younger members of the profession. This impression 
assumes him to have been a gifted man of indolent habits, and his most eloquent 
utterances and most profound arguments to have been the easy products of some- 
thing which it is common to call genius. Nothing can be farther from the truth. 
In his case, as it may be suspected in most cases, genius is the capacity and will- 
ingness to work sixteen hours out of the twenty-four to win his proud position a 
the bar. Mr. Carpenter did not fail to comply with the conditions prescribed by 
the great Roman lawyer, and dedicated twenty years to nocturnal studies. He 
was an indefatigable worker, and notwithstanding the thoroughness of his eciuip- 
ment and the readiness with which he commanded the best weapons in his 
arsenal, he devoted labored preparation to every cause in which he enlisted. It is 
to be wished that this may have some influence in impressing upon the young 
lawyers of Wisconsin that the profession reserves its highest rewards for those 
who "scorn delights and spend laborious da)-s. '' 

Among the many notable public efforts made by Mr. Carpenter, he consid- 
ered his celebrated Janesville speech the best he ever made; yet it is none the less 



(^64 lilOGRAPIIirAl, DICTIONARY AND PORTkAIT GAI.I.KKV OF TIIK 

true that the effect of this very speech, which was pubhshed at that time, was the 
means of defeating his re-election to the Senate in 1875. 

As an evidence of the foresight of Mr. Carpenter, it may, in justice to his 
memory, be said that he was one of the earhest to prognosticate the railroad 
monopoly that is now upon the country, and delivered an address upon that sub- 
ject at the State Fair at Aladison, ten years or more since, attracring, however, 
little attention to what the subject demanded. 

Politically he had been a Democrat. Although seeking and holding no ofhce, 
except for one term as District Attorney of Rock county, he gained distinction in 
advocating the measures of the Democratic party. He took an active part as a 
political speaker in the Presidential campaigns of -1856 and 1S60. In the latter 
he was a staunch adherent and ardent admirer of Stephen A. Douglas. He saw 
with regret the success of Mr. Lincoln, and his inauguration as President. But 
when the Southern States assumed the attitude of rebellion against the laws and 
just authority of the Government of the United States, he sprang with uncalcu- 
lating patriotism to the defense of the lawful government of his country. With 
the foresight and ability of a statesman, he defended its right to maintain by force of 
arms the national existence. He trampled under his feet all narrow party prejudices, 
and supported with unreserved zeal all the measures of Mr. Lincoln's administra- 
tion, which were adopted to defeat the armed enemies of the Union, until the 
rebellion was finally suppressed. His patriotic appeals and stirring eloquence did 
much to keep alive the fires of patriotism in the hearts of his former political asso- 
ciates in this State, while his unselfish devotion to his country and its lawful gov- 
ernment kept him wholly clear of the rocks of a halting support and the quicksands 
of a qualified and half-hearted upholding of the Government, on which the reputa- 
tions of so many prominent politicians were stranded or in which they were sunk. 



HON. ALFRED WILLIAM NEWMAN, 



ALFRED W. NEWMAN, Justiceof the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, was born 
in Durham, Greene county. New York, April 5. 1 834. His paternal grandfather, 
William Newman, was a native of New England. He married Sarah Hulburt, a 
member of an early Connecticut family. She was born in 1769; was the mother 
of eight children and lived to be eighty-three years old. Soon after his marriage, 
William Newman, Sr. , moved with his wife to Greene county, New York, where 
they passed the remainder of their lives. Their son, William, the father of Justice 
Newman, was born in 1801; he married Patty Rogers, who was born in Broome, 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 467 

New York, in 1 804, a daughter of Daniel and Rachel (Loomis) Rogers, natives of 
Connecticut and pioneers of eastern New York. The Rogers family is of English 
origin and among its ancestors was the martyr, John Rogers, who suffered death 
for his religious principles. William Newman and wife lived in New York until 
death; the latter died February 7, 1S45, and the former October 8, 1873. They 
were the parents of seven children, two sons and five daughters; all grew to ma- 
turity, but the two sons arc the only survivors of the family. William Newman 
was a iarmer and the subject of this sketch remained u]ion the farm until eighteen 
years old. 

Justice Newman received an academic education at Ithaca, New York, and in 
the Delaware Literary Institute at Franklin, Delaware county, New York, and he also 
took a collegiate course at Hamilton college, New "S'ork, entering that institution in 
1854, and graduating in 1857. During the last two years hespent in that institution he 
received instruction in the law department, his preceptor being the Hon. Theodore 
W. Dwight, who later became the head of the Columbia Law school, a position 
he occupied for many years. After his graduation Justice Newman entered the 
law office of John Olney, at Windham Center, and was admitted to the bar De- 
cember 8, 1857, at the general term at Albany, New York. Immediately after 
this event he started West, going directly to Ahnajiec, Kewaunee county, Wis- 
consin. There he remained until March, 1858, when he moved to Trempealeau 
county. In April, i860, he was appointed County Judge and held that ollice until 
January, 1867. From 1867 until June, 1876, with the exception of the years 1871 
and 1872. he was district attorney. He was a member of the Assembly of Wis- 
consin in 1863 and State Senator in 1868 and 1869. In Ajiril, 1876, he was elected 
Judge of the Sixth judicial circuit and was twice re-elected to the same office with- 
out opposition. In response to calls from the bar and business men of the State, 
our subject became a candidate for the office of Justice of the Supreir.e Court, to 
succeed the ex-Chief Justice, William P. Lyon, who had declined a re-election. 
At the election held April 4, 1893, he was chosen by a majority of nearly 50,000 
votes, receiving a total of 123,476 votes to 73,803 for his opponent, Hon. Charles M. 
Webb, of Grand Rapids. This is the largest majority recorded in any contested 
previous election. While circuit judge, many interesting and important cases were 
argued before Justice Newman. The celebrated "treasury" cases were brought before 
him first, and in the cases of "State vs. McFetridge" and "State vs. Harshaw" he 
rendered the decisions against the defendants. The questions involved were un- 
precedented and the decisions were against political friends. The judgments were 
sustained by the Supreme Court upon the same general ground stated in the opinion 
handed d(nvn by Judge Newman. 

Politically, Justice Newman has ever been a staunch Republican. He cast his 
first vote for John C. Fremont in 1856, and has ever since been a warm advocate of 
the principles of Republicanism. 

Justice Newman was married on August 15, i860, to Miss Celia E. Humphrey^ 
a native of Bainbridge, Chenango county, New York. 



468 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND TORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Mrs. Newman is a daughter of Mason C. and Nabby (Thurber) Humphrey. 
Seven children have been born to Justice and Mrs. Newman. Four sons died 
in infancy. The surviving children are: Mary Johnson, Mark Humphrey and 
Celia. 

The following tribute from one who has known our subject for many years, 
gives an idea of the esteem in which he is held by those who are intimately ac- 
quainted with him, and is therefore a true index to his character. 

"Judge Newman's career has been honorable and progressive. Many im- 
portant trusts have been committed to his care and keeping, in all of which he has 
proved faithful, discharging the duties pertaining to them with a high degree of 
ability and integrity. As a lawyer, legislator and judge, he has won and retained 
the confidence of men of all parties and conditions. Political lite has never been 
congenial to Judge Newman's tastes or temperament. He is best known in his 
judicial career. As a judge he is never swayed by any other consideration than a 
sense of duty. He possesses all the qualifications of judicial character, extensive 
legal learning, sound morality, urbane and agreeable manners.' To him truth and 
right are more lasting than popularity." 



M. D. MOORE, 

FOND DU LAC. 

THE CAREER ot him whose name heads this biographical sketch illustrates 
most forcibly what can be accomplished by steady application, industry and 
economy as combined with integrity and honesty of purpose. It proves that 
neither wealth nor social position nor the assistance of inffuefitial friends is at all 
necessary for advancement to an honorable and useful position; it proves that if 
a young man possesses ambition and strength of character he can overcome 
the disadvantages of early poverty and can climb to more exalted heights than 
can be attained by those who in childhood were surrounded by all the pampering 
influences that wealth can bestow. 

Mr. Moore is a native of Massachusetts, having been born in Hampden 
county, July 25, 1825. He is a son of Warham and Lucretia (Bosworth) Moore. 
His paternal grandfather was connected with the early settlement of Montgom^ 
ery. His mother was a daughter of Captain Bosworth, an officer of the war of 
1812. When our subject had attained the age of five years his mother died and he 
was sent to reside with his aunt, who resided in Martinsburg, Lewis county, New 
York. There the boy resided until his sixteenth year and in the common schools 
obtained his preliminary education. 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 469 



At the age of sixteen he returned to Massachusetts and made, in Southamp- 
ton, arrangements for a liome for himself with a family by the name of Strong, 
with whom he was to remain until he had attained his majority. He waste assist 
Mr. Strong in farming and lumbering, and in compensation for his services was 
to receive his board, his schooling in the winter and $200 when he became of age. 
Thus his boyhood and early manhood were passed. When he had reached man's 
estate he began to work at the car])enter's trade, but could secure employment 
along that line onl\- in the summer months. Determining to have work (luring 
the entiri' year he planniHl his winter's occupation in the summer, and there- 
fore was able to earrx' out his determination. He purchased a piece of timber 
land, and when no other occupation engrossed his attention he would cut timber 
and "cord-wood " for the market. He was also employed as a mechanical wood- 
worker in the organ factory of William A. Johnson, of Westfield, Massachusetts. 
He was economical and every year saw his financial resources increase. He made 
it a rule to save part of his income, and when the opportunity presented he was 
enabled to enter into business on his own account. He embarked in a millinery 
and fancy dry -goods business in Westfield and continued it successfully for some 
ten or eleven years. He then sold out his business, and in 1864 started West, 
intending to locate in Minnesota, but was persuaded to stop in Fond du Lac, 
Wisconsin. He purchased a half interest in a sawmill that had just been erected, 
and about three years later bought out the other half interest and became sole 
proprietor. Since then Mr. Moore has been activel}^ interested in the lumber 
Inisiness and has been very successful. He is now president of the Moore & 
("lalloway Lumber Company (Limited). This company, which is capitalized for 
§230,000, transacts a very large business. It owns its land and cuts its own stock. 
The company also manufactures large quantities of sash, doors and blinds, which 
are shipped to Chicago and other markets. 

Although very active in business Mr. Moore has not neglected religious 
work, but has devoted much of his time and attention to the interests of the 
church. For over fifty years he has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and its welfare is one of his important interests in life. He now belongs 
to the Division Street Methodist Episcopal Church of Fond du Lac, is president 
of its Board of Trustees and a member of the general board of Stewards and Class 
Leaders. From his earliest connection with the church he has been deeply 
interested in Sunday-school work and in this connection was formerly Superin- 
tendent. Mr. Moore is not only interested in the church at Fond du Lac, but 
participates actively in general church work. He is president of the Board of 
Church Extension of the Methodist Episcopal Church, for the Wiscon.sin Confer- 
ence, and in 1884 represented the Wisconsin Conference at the General Confer- 
ence held in Philadelphia. Mr. Moore has always taken a deep interest in 
educational matters and as a member of the School Board, of which he acted as 



470 HlodRAl'lllCAI. lUCTKiNARV AND roKI'KAIT C'.ALLERV OF THE 

president two years: he exerted for many years a good influence in behalf of the 
public schools of the city. 

In iS5;i Mr. Moore was married to Miss Elida S. Thatcher, of Keene, New 
llamiishire, and they are the parents of four children: Minnie E.; Henry W., 
now interested in the business of which his lather is president; Edwin M., teller 
of the Fond du Lac National Bank; and Fred M. 

Politically Mr. Moore has ever been a strong and zealous Republican. He has 
never sought political preferment, but is deeply interested as a citizen in the wel- 
fare of his party. Mr. Moore has attained the position he now occupies entirely 
through his own exertions. By personal attention to business, steady application, 
economy and a just regard for the rights of others, — doing to others as he would 
be done by and making his word as good as his bond, — he has accumulated a for- 
tune, and lu: is a most illustrious tvpe of a self-made man. 



HON. WILLIAM P. LVON, LL. D., 

MADISON. 

WILLIAM PENN LYON, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Wiscon- 
sin, is the son of Isaac and Eunice (Cofhn) Lyon. He was born in Chat- 
ham, Columbia county. New York, on the 2Sth day of October, 1822. His 
parents were members of the religious Society of Friends (Quakers); he was 
brought up in that faith and still clings to its cardinal doctrines. 

William attended the ordinary country district schools until eleven years of 
age, when he was placed as clerk in a small store kept by his father in his native 
town. Subsequently he attended select schools at different times, amounting in 
all to about one year. These were the only advantages of instruction ever en- 
joyed by him. But with these and a reasonable use of his leisure hours, he ac- 
quired a fair English education, including a limited knowledge of algebra, geom- 
etry and natural philosophy. He also gave some time to the Latin language. 
At the early age of fifteen he taught a district school ; but he did not take kindly to 
this employment, so he engaged as clerk in a grocery store in the city of Albany, 
where he remained until eighteen years of age. While there he spent most of 
his time outside business hours in attendance upon the courts and the Legisla,- 
ture, when in session, his tastes leading him strongly in those directions. 

In 1 84 1 he, then in his nineteenth year, emigrated with his father and family 
to Wisconsin, and settled in what is now the town of Lyons, Walworth county, 
where he resided until 1850. With the exception of two terms of school-teach- 
ing he worked on a farm until the spring of 1844, when he entered the office of 





^:/n^ 



KKl'RKSKNTATIVK MEN' OV THE L'MTED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 473 

ihc l.itc judge George Gale, then a practicing lawyer at Elkhorn, as a law stu- 
dent; but before this he had read Blackstone's Commentaries, as well as those of 
Kent, quite thoroughly. He remained a few months with his preceptor when he 
returned home to work through harvest. He was soon after attacked with acute 
inflammation of the eyes and was in conseciuence unable to read or teach for nearly 
a }ear. That year he worked on a mill then being built in Lyons at $12 a month, 
earning $100. In the fall of 1S45 Ik- entered the law oflire of the late Judge 
Charles M. Baker, at Geneva, as a student, and remained there until the spring 
of 1846, when he was admitted to the bar by the District Court of Walworth 
county. 

Having been clu)sen one of the Justices of the Peace of the town of Hudson 
(now Lyons), he at once opened an office there and commenced the practice of 
law, but in a very small way. His receipts for professional and ofHcial business 
the first year were $60; the second year, $180; the third year, $400, and the fifth 
year, S500. During the second year (1847) his income had increased .so much as, 
in his opinion, to justify his getting married, the partner of his choice being 
Adelia C. , daughter of the late Dr. E. E. Duncombe, of St. Thomas, Ontario, 
Canada. Rent and fuel and provisions in those days were cheaper than they now 
are and his income proved amiiK- ior lh(>ir support. 

In 1850 Mr. I^yon formed a partnership with the late C. P. Barnes, of Bur- 
liui^lon. Racine county, and moved to that place, where he remained until the 
sprim; ol 1855, when he changed his residence to the city of Racine, where he 
continued in active practice of the law until the breaking out of the war in 1861. 
He was District Attorney of Racine count)' from 1855 to 1858 inclusive. He was 
chosen a member of the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature of 1859, and 
was made Speaker. It is a ver\- unusual proceeding in a deliberative body of that 
high character to call one to the delicate and onerous duties of presiding officer 
who has not previously been a member of any Legislature; but in the case of Mr. 
Lyon, the choice was abundantly justified by the capable manner in which the 
duties were discharged. He was re-elected a member of the Assemblv the follow- 
ing year, and was again chosen Speaker, without a contest having been made in 
the caucus of Republican members for nomination (Mr. Lyon belonging to that 
political party). He retired from his second term in the Legislature of his State 
at the age of thirty-eight, with the warm friendship of the members without 
distinction of party, with an enviable reputation throughout Wisconsin, and with 
the promise (which it will soon be seen has been fully realized) of an honorable 
and useful public career. 

When the attack upon Fort Sumter roused the North to arms, Mr. Lyon did 
not let his religious .scruples interfere with his duty to his country. One hundred 
brave and determined citizens enlisted under him, and he was commissioned 
Captain of Compan\- K, of the Eighth Wisconsin Infantry, to rank from the 
7th of August, 1861. The regiment to which Captain Lyon and his company were 



474 niiHlKAl'HICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GAl.I.F.RY OF THE 



.Tttachcd WHS ois^anizcd on the 4th of September, i 86 i, with Robert C. Murphy, of 
St. Croix Falls, as its Colonel. It left Madison, thi' caiiilal of the State, on the 
I 2th of October, and arrived in St. Louis on the eveninj;' of the next day. This 
was the famous "Eagle" regiment, so called from the circumstance of its having 
with it a live eagle — "Old Abe.'' It reachetl P)cnlon barracks nine hundred and 
eighty-six strong. The day after its arrival it marched against the enemy. By 
the I 2th of October the Ixns were in pursuit of " |efferson Thompson, " and on 
tlie 2islwere near Greenville, when a desperate fight ensued. "The battle," 
afterward wTote Major Jefferson, of the Eighth, " lasted one hour and a half, and 
I think it was one of the most brilliant and complete victories we have had during 
this war." Captain Lyon took an active part in this, the first conflict in which his 
regiment engaged. 

After various duties having been performed b}' it, the Eighth Regiment on the 
gth of May was at Farmington, when twenty thousand of the enemy came out to 
attack General Pope's much smaller force. A portion of the Eighth was posted in 
front under Major Jeft'erson, and soon deployed as skirmishers, only to fall back 
when the Confederates advanced in force. The regiment for an hour withstood 
the artilkny fire of the foe without support. As the enemy outnumbered the 
Federals, and (General Hallcck not wishing to brmg on a battle, the National 
troops retired to the next line in the rear, and that terminated the action. 

Ahev other important service, the regiment to which Captain Lyon belonged 
went into summer quarters at Camp "Clear Creek," nine miles south of Corinth. 
On the 5th of August, while in the hospital of luka, Mississippi, the Captain was 
promoted to the Colonelcv of the Thirteenth Wisconsin Regiment. He subse- 
quentlv returned home for a brief period, and after being mustered in as com- 
mander of the regiment just named, joined it in October, 1862, at Fort Henry. 

On the last of October Colonel Lyon, with his regiment, embarked on steam- 
ers and proceeded to Shoditz Landing, on the Tennes.see, where they joined the 
force under command of General T. E. G. Ransom, marching thence to Hopkins- 
ville to attack the Confederate troops under (General Morgan; but no enemy could 
be found. However, on the evening of the 6th of November they came up with 
the foe, commanded by Woodward, near Garrettsburg. After, a short but severe 
and decisive skirmish the enemy escaped under cover of the darkness, leaving sev- 
eral killed and wounded on the field. Subsequently Colonel Lyon with his com- 
mand returned to Fort Henry. From the 21st of December to the end of the year 
the regiment pursued Forrest, but returned to Fort Henry January i, 1863. On 
the 3d day of February, at four in the afternoon, information was received that 
Fort Donelson was attacked. In half an hour Colonel Lyon had his regiment on 
the road, marching to reinforce the Eighty-third Illinois at that important point. 
After driving the enemy's skirmishers five miles they arrived in the vicinity of the 
fort at ten in the evenin", with a loss of one man wounded on the march. Mean- 



KEPRESliNTATIVK MKX (IK TIIK IXITKD STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 475 



while the garrison of Fort Donelson, assisted by the gunboats, had repulsed the 
Confederates with severe loss — had in fact gained a signal victory. 

During the spring and summer of 1863 Colonel Lyon's men were sent out by 
him on scouting duty, taking many prisoners and preventing the formation of any 
considerable force of guerrillas. 

Participating in the forward movement of the Army of the Cumberland, the 
Thirteenth Regiment left P\)rt Donelson on thi- 2y\.h of August, reaching Stephen- 
son, Alabama, on the 14th of September. Colonel Lyon was placed in command 
of that post. This was a point of great importance, being the depot of supplies 
for the whole army. The garrison was very small, provided with but little 
artillery, and the place was easily accessible to the cavalry of General Bragg. 
However, relief came in the beginning of October by the arrival of the Eleventh 
and Twelfth Corps under command of Major General Hooker from the Army of 
the Potomac. 

On the evening of the 26th of October, 1863, Colonel Lyon left Stephen- 
son wiili his regiment to join the brigade to which it was attached, and 
went into winter quarters at Edgefield, on the Cumberland, opposite Nashville, 
where they were employed at picket and guard duty. However, three-fourths of 
their number having "veteraned, " the regiment left for Wisconsin on furlough, 
where Colonel Lyon remained five weeks and then returned to Nashville. Again, 
in the latter part of April, the Thirteenth Regiment was ordered to Stephenson, 
and Colonel Lyon the second time placed in command of that post. In the reor- 
ganization of the army in 1863-4, Colonel Lyon's regiment was assigned to ^^e First 
Brigade, Fourth Division of the Twentieth Army Corps. He left Stephenson on 
the 6th of June and for nearly three months had his headiquarters at Claysville, 
Alabama, guarding during that time various fords and crossings ot the Tennessee 
river. Late in August he was ordered to Huntsville, where he arrived on the 3d 
of September, and was placed in charge of the railroad from Claysville to Stephen- 
son and was responsible for the preservation of the posts and lines of communi- 
cation within his charge. Besides his own regiment he had under him several de- 
tachments of infantry, three large regiments of cavalry (a portion of which were 
dismounted and used as infantry), and a battery of artillerw 

On the 7th of Jul\- of the year last mentioned, the Thirteenth Regiment, 
now a part of the Third Brigade, of the Third Division of the Fourth Army Corps, 
left the Mississippi river for Texas,, going afterward to camp at Green Lake on the 
i6th of July. Here on the iith of September, 1865, Colonel Lyon was mustered 
out of the service. He was subsequently brevetted a Brigadier General of United 
States X'olunteers to date from the 26th day of October of that year. The 
Thirteenth Regiment was mustered/uit on the 24th of November, at San Antonio, 
reaching Madison, Wi.sconsin, on tin- 2311 of December, where three days after- 
ward the men were paid off and the regiment formally disbanded. 

Before Colonel Lyon was mustered out of the service he was chosen Judge 



476 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT CJALLERY OF THE 

of the First Judicial Circuit of Wisconsin, comprising the counties of Racine, 
Kenosha, Walworth, Rock and Green. He entered upon the duties of that posi- 
tion on the I St of December, 1865, ^^^ served for five years with a degree of 
ability that won unqualified commendation from all. 

In 1866, Independence Day was made the occasion at the capital of Wisconsin 
for the formal presentation by the State of the battle fiags of the several regi- 
ments which the Commonwealth had sent into the field. Judge Lyon was selected 
to deliver an address to the Governor and people on behalf of the soldiers when 
these flags should be given up. His oration was a masterly effort — impressive for 
its impassioned eloquence. 

In 1870 Judge Lyon was the Republican candidate for Congress in the 
Fourth District of the State, but was defeated at the polls by Alexander 
Mitchell. 

The death of Byron Paine, one of the Associate Justices of the Supreme 
Court of Wisconsin, on the 13th of January, 1871, caused a vacancy on that 
bench which was filled by Governor Fairchild by the appointment of Judge L3'on 
to the place on the 20th of the same month. In the following April he was elected 
by the people for the unexpired term and for the full term succeeding. In 1877 
and in 1884, he was re-elected for full terms; the last time for ten years. Judge 
Lyon publicly announced three years ago that he did not desire and would not 
accept a re-election. He never wavered in his determination to retire from 
the bench at the close of his term, and on January, 1894, he retired from the 
bench. 

Judge Lyon, at the earnest solicitation of the regents of the University of 
Wisconsin, consented, in addition to his onerous duties as one of the Associate 
Justices of the Supreme Court, to take upon hmiself the labor of lecturing before 
the law class of that institution. His lectures beginning in 1871 were continued 
to the end of the university year in 1873. His time was given "without reward 
or hope thereof." On commencement day, in 1872, the university conferred upon 
him the honorary degree, LL. D. 

The published decisions of Judge Lyon since he has occupied a position 
upon the bench of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, run through volumes 
XXVII to LXXXVI inclusive of the reports of that State. While these are char- 
acterized for their clearness and brevity they also show a careful examination 
of the facts of, and just appreciation of, the law appertaining to the cases in 
hand. 

Judge Lyon was one of the first if not the first Justices of the Supreme Cour,t 
to prepare a statement of the facts in each case — a task usually performed by the 
official reporter. 

"His knowledge of law is thorough and his instinct of equity perfect; his 
mind has an equipoise that the scales of the blindfolded goddess cannot surpass; 



KKPRKSENTATIVK MEN OF THE UNITEn STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 477 



and his intej^irit}' is such as to class him with those into whose presence corruption- 
ists dare not venture. ' 

There are two surviving children of the family of Judge Lyon, — Clara Isabel, 
born in 1857, the wife of J. O. Hayes, and William Penn, Jr., of San Jose, Cali- 
fornia, born in 1 861. 



CHARLES D. WINSLOW, 



CHARLKS DICKSON WINSLOW, one of the most prominent of Beloit's 
successful business men, was born in Salina, New York, July i, 1835, "^"d 
is a son of Jared Goodrich and Charlotte (Dickson) Winslow. He traces his 
ancestry back to the Puritans, being a direct descendant of John Winslow, who 
came to this country in the historic MayHower, in 1620. The father of our sub- 
ject was a farmer by occupation, and, in 1843, while his son was still a young man, 
emigrated to Wisconsin. Here he obtained from the Government a considerable 
amount of land and successfully operated it for some years, developing therefrom 
a fine farm. 

C. D. Winslow obtained his primary education in the common schools of the 
neighborhood and later entered Beloit College, where he pursued his studies till 
his eighteenth year, but did not finish the prescribed course. About this time he 
entered upon his business career, forming a partnership with G. H. Rosenberg in 
the hardware business, under the firm name of Winslow & Rosenberg. That 
venture proved a very profitable one and he continued in that line of trade for a 
quarter of a century, doing a very extensive business. At length, in 1 891, he sold 
out, but the store is still continued, and since that time he has devoted his ener- 
gies to the management of his private affairs. 

Upon his father's death he was left in charge of the estate, and the interests 
of his mother and brother have been zealously guarded by him. Long before he 
entered the hardware business he had gained a familiarity with banking, having 
occupied a clerical position in the Beloit Bank, of which his father was the prin- 
cipal stockholder. He served as teller and acquired an excellent knowledge of 
banking in all its details, which has proven of great benefit in his later experience. 
In 1871 he became one of the founders of the Beloit Savings Bank, has since 
served as one of its directors, and at the present writing (1894) occupies the 
position of vice-president of the institution. He is one of the originators of the 
Beloit Co-operative Loan & Building Association, a solid financial concern which 
was organized on the iith of November, 1S87, and of which lie is one of the 
directors. 



478 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Mr. Winslow takes considerable interest in some lines of agricultural work, 
but cares little for general farming. He, however, takes no little pleasure in the 
dairy business, and possesses some very fine dairy stock. His landed interests are 
quite extensive and are mostly located in Winnebago county, Illinois. Mr. Wins- 
low is in no sense a politician and affiliates with no political organization, believ- 
ing it best to exercise one's right of franchise for the man who is best suited for 
the office, regardless of party ties. He works for the public good and all that 
pertains to the welfare of the community finds in him a supporter. His fellow 
townsmen have often solicited him to become a candidate for public office, but he 
has steadily refused. 

The married life of Mr. Winslow has been an exceptionally happy one. He 
was married in 1871 to Miss Mary I. Manchester, a daughter of Otis Manchester, 
Esq., of Utica, New York, who later removed to Wisconsin. For many years 
both Mr. and Mrs. Winslow have been devout members of the Episcopal Church 
of Beloit, and are deeply interested in its growth. He belongs to the Masonic fra- 
ternity, holding membership with Morning Star Lodge, No. 10, A. F. & A. M., and 
being highly esteemed in the order. Mr. Winslow is very fond of travel and has 
visited most parts of the United States to the east of the Missouri river, having 
also made many extensive pleasure trips in the South, particularly in Florida. 
Books afford him great pleasure, and his extensive reading has made him well 
informed on the questions of the day and on the history of past ages. 

Mr. Winslow is a man of domestic tastes and habits, taking great delight in 
his home. He is courteous and kindly to all, is charitable and benevolent, and 
the poor and needy have cause to hold him in grateful remembrance. His word 
is as good as his bond and his honor in business transactions is beyond question. 
It is his desire to have the name Winslow synonymous with business integrity, and 
this result is accomplished. 



HON FRANK L. GILSON, 

MILWAUKEE. 

JUDGE FRANK L. GILSON was born in Middlefield, Geauga county, Ohio, 
October 22, 1846, and his early life was passed in his native State. He ob- 
tained his education at Hiram and Oberlin Colleges, both noble and worthy seats* 
of learning. About 1870 he removed to Wisconsin, where he became a law stu- 
dent and clerk in the office of Messrs. Frisby & Weil, at West Bend, in which 
Judge Frisby, the senior member, was his uncle. In 1872 joung Gilson was ad- 
mitted to the bar of the State, and removing to Ellsworth, in Pierce county, began 
the practice of law. Possessing a naturally keen intellect, sustained powers of 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF TIIK rXirKI) STATES; WTSCOXSIX VOUMK. .iSl 



thought and legal ability of no mean order, he soon rose by conscientious work- 
to a position of prominence and influence in his community, enjoying an ever- 
increasing patronage and the growing esteem of his fellow men. In recognition 
of his ability and worth of character, he was elected District Attorney for Pierce 
county in 1874, which ofiice he creditably filled byre-election until 1880. He took 
an active part in political campaigns and excelled as a campaign speaker. He 
was a delegate to the Republican national convention held in Chicago in 1880. 
In 1 88 1 he was chosen a member of the .Assembly of Wisconsin and in 1882 was 
elected Speaker of the Assembly. This position was one for which his superior 
attainments eminently fitted him, and so popular did he become with all parties 
that, at the close of the session, the members of the Assembly presented to him 
an elegant gold watch as a testimonial of their esteem. 

Seeking a broader field for the exercise of bis abilities, he removed, in 1882, 
to Milwaukee, where he became associated with his uncle, the late Judge Frisby, 
under the name of Frisby & Gilson. " This title was changed, in 1887, to Frisby,' 
Gilson & Klliott, by the admission, into the business, of Eugene S. Elliott, which 
partnership continued for three years. At the end of this time, Mr. Gilson, in 
accordance with a plan recommended by the citizens of Milwaukee county, in 
1887 — ^to eliminate party politics from their judiciary — was, upon the resignation 
of Judge George H. No3'es, in 1890, appointed that gentleman's successor to the 
bench of the Superior Court by Governor Hoard. He was, with the exception of 
Judge Fish, of Racine, the youngest judge on the Wisconsin bench. On assum- 
ing his judicial duties, his active participation in politics ceased, and he devoted 
himself zealously to the work of his high office, bringing to his duties all the 
power of a clear, vigorous and judicial mind. 

Besides his legal attainments, Judge Gilson was a man of rich scholar- 
ship. He was an inveterate reader of the best authors and had a knowledge of 
English literature which was equaled by but few. He was particularly partial to 
poetry, and his mind was richly stored with the choicest selections, which at the 
slightest suggestion were at his command for the illustration of a thought or the 
entertainment of his friends. He had a genial social nature and possessed a 
strong attachment to his friends, among whom he was a leading spirit. 
He never married. 

Judge Gilson died at Milwaukee on the morning of June 7, i8q2. 
His death was sudden and unexpected. He had risen somewhat earlier than 
usual and entered his lii^rary, where he was soon afterward discovered in his 
chair — -dead. The summons had come without warning, the afiection being pro- 
nounced neuralgia of the heart. The announcement of the sad event created a 
profound sensation among his friends. The various courts of Milwaukee ad- 
journed, and meetings of the Common Council, the Milwaukee Bar Association 
and other local organizations were called to honor his memory, and the various 
bodies passed resolutions of respect. 



4Sj lUiicKAriiir.M, luf ruiNAKV and rnKiKAn' CAU.ivin' ok i'iiI'; 

The following extracts from the Memorial of the Milwaukee Bar [gives an 
indication of the esteem in which this worthy man was held. After giving a re- 
sume of his life, the Memorial continues: 

"Within such narrow hounds are comjiasscd the meager records ol this law- 
yer's life, records that may be still further condensed into four words: Birth, 
work, success, death. These tell the story of his Career, but they fail to show 
the delicate lines that constitute tlu^ light and shade of his individuality; nor do 
they adecjuately represent the affectionate regard and profound esteem that were 
inspired by the ro)al attributes of his character. Of such attributes there can be 
no photograph; the traits b\ which we recognize a ni;inl\- m:in arc bcvond the 
limits of the limner's art, nor can human skill devise a mirror that will do more 
than indistinctly reflect the outlines ol the portrait. In so far, however, as words 
can indicate those (pialities of mind and heart that made him eminent, let this 
memorial of his brethren at the bar be admitted in evidence. 

"Hardly twenty-eight months have passed since I'ranlJin L. Ciilson was in- 
vested with judicial honors. If, when he ascended the bench, there were some 
who doubted whether the successful advocate could Safely excliangt- the gown for 
the ermine of the judge, such doubts were speedily removed. I'ullv conscious of 
the responsibilities of his high function, and sensible as well of the fallibility of 
human judgment and of the limitations upon his own strength, he entered upon 
the administration of his trust modestly, but with a conHdcnce born of determina- 
tion to do what was right, as God gave him a vision to see the right. That he 
had a laudable ambition to be numbered among the great jurists who have added 
lustre to the bar, is, doubtless, true; but this ambition was entireh subordinate to 
the higher and nobler aim of taking rank as an upright, imji.uti.d and incorrupti- 
ble judge. 

"That he was successful in this, we. his brethren at tlu' bar, attest. He held 
the scales of justice with a steady hand, uninfluenced either 1)\ prejudice or fear, 
by favor or aflectitm; mindful only of the law, ot which hv was a zealous student, 
yet never regardless of that equity which supplieth those things of which the law 
is deficient. As a trial judge, he was invariably urbane in his treatment, both of 
counsel and witnesses, and had the happy faculty of impressing the same cour- 
teous demeanor upon all with whom he came in contact. As a judge, he amply 
met the requirements of the ancient lawgiyer, in that he heard courteously, an- 
swered wi.sely, considered soberly and decided impartialh. 

"But not alone to his eminent merits as a lawyer do we, his asstu^iates and 
brethren, render tribute. Higher than the sagacity of the lawyer, greater even 
than the wisdom of a judge, was the manhood of the man. Sincerely trusting, 
as we know he did, in a divine and omnipotent Providence, he believed, as well, 
that humanity was mainly responsi! le for its own happiness, and that no indi- 
vidual hatl a right to shirk his share in its promotion. He helie\ed that the world 
was too dark to permit wanton waste ot a single ray of sunshine, <uid, so believing. 



Ri:i'Ki:si:\TATivi-; mi;n <ii- riiK imiki) .srACKs ; Wisconsin vom-mk. 483 



his great heart throbbed in sympathy with his kind. Nothing pleased him more 
than to pick up sjome gnarled and crooked specimen of humanity, and try, with 
kindly words and cheery smile, to straighten it out. 

"Thus, surrounded as with a halo of glory, in addition to his erudition and his 
integrity, was a magnetism of manner, combined with a human .sympathy and 
a loyalty of disposition, that speedily converted acquaintance into friendship, and 
made that friendship eternal. It was imp(j«sible for him to deceive a friend 
or betray a trust. 

"Not a lawyer practiced before his bar who did noi know that in the presiding 
judge he had a personal friend. Not a suitor left his presence who did not feel, 
even though he had lost his case, that he was enriched by knowing such a man. 

"To a mind enriched by such generous qualities, he added an exquisite taste 
for the beautiful. His reading was vast and varied, and his knowledge of English 
poetry was remarkable. His memory was a conservatory in which he cherished 
the choicest flowers of literature. 

"We were his friends, but the companions in whose society he indulged most, 
and with whom he found his chief delight, were sought in the privacy of his own 
room, and talked to him with winged words through sealed lips. 

"Franklin L. Gilson is dead, wrested from life while yet his honors clustered, 
in obedience to a divine decree from which there is no appeal. He was happy 
in his life, happier yet in his death, and most happy in a spotless character and 
an unblemished reputation. If he had faults, they were manly faults, such as 
only generous natures know; but the world was better for his living, for his pres- 
ence was a benediction, as his example is an inspiration to noble aims and high 
and honorable ambitions." 

The following quotations, taken from the addresses made upon the present- 
ation of the bar memorial to the Supreme Court, give further indication of the 
esteem in which he was held by those who knew him best: — 

Hugh Ryan, Escjuire: "His character, his whole moral organization, had the 
grandeur of perfect simplicity, and the simplicity of true grandeur. I never knew 
a manlier, sweeter disposition, a nature more permeated by the broadest charity; 
a sunnier temper. Yet his was not the careless good nature of irresponsibility or 
indifference. He had infinite compassion and patience for the frailties insepa- 
rable from our imperfect human nature; but he had no mercy for deliberate dis- 
honesty or palpable corruption. Honor was his idol. He had, as Burke 
expresses it, 'that chastity of honor that feels a stain like a wound.' Falsehood, 
spoken or acted, great or small, was abhorrent to his nature. Justice and truth 
were the breath of his nostrils. The mere possibility of tampering with dishonor, 
judicially or individually, could never have occurred to him. He was singularly 
fair-minded and candid, and deeply imbued with the broad and wholesome spirit 
of ecjuity; and it is no exaggeration to say that he was absolutely without preju- 
dice." 



484 lUoCKArillCAl, DIC'TKiNAKV AND PORTRAIT C.AI.I.KRN' OK IIIK 



Eugene S. Elliott, Esquire: "The keystone of Judge Gijpon's character was 
hir. sincerity, lie was sincere in his friendships, sincere in ihe appreciation and 
performance of his duties, sincere in the motives which inspired his acts. The 
education of college, and the greater education hy the experience of after life, 
taught him to reason well; hut while yielding obedience lo the dictates of his 
reason, he pri;sc!rved a hoyish lightness of heart aiul a tenderness of (hsposition 
full)' feminine in its nature. Despising tawch^)' senlimentaliiy, he was neverthe- 
less intensely human. No living object was too low to escape his kind regard; 
my dog was his best friend, and he was the best friend of my dog. There was 
no dissimulation in the tears of the little newsboy who, standing afar, wept as 
they took away the body of his friend. Weakness attracted him; suffering 
aroused him; injustice stimulated every resource of nnnd and ijiicly into active 
opposition. In all this he was sincerely sincere." 

]ohn C Spooner, Escjuire: "His memory was capacious and exceedingly 
retentive. Quick as a flash, he was a terror to the witness intent upon withhold- 
ing or obscuring the truth. Of s[)lendid physicjue, with great wealth of imagina- 
tion, fine vocabulai)' and ringing, powerful voice, he was an advocate of exceptional 
strength. 

"He combined the hbre and nerve of a giant, with the tenderness ami deli- 
cacy of a woman. Generous and chivalrous in his friendship, eager always to 
espouse the cause of the weak and helpless, frank and sincere in his intercourse 
with the world, passionately fond of children and proud of tlu-ir fondness for him, 
his was a personality of peculiar charm. 

"Well, indeed, it may be said of him, in whatever relation oi life we consider 
him,— as lawyer, judge, citizen or Iriend, — the world is belter for his having 



liveci. 



iir:NR\' iu)Mj<:. 



KOM) lir I.AC. 



Tl IE sjiirit of self help in the individual has built uji our uation and, as exempli- 
iietl in the lives of our citizens, it forms a bulwark stronger than that pos- 
sessed by any of the jiowers of the old world. 

A remarkable and worthv inslance oi mdivitUud success is illustnited in the 
lives of Henry and ]ohn T. Uoyle. Both have 1 d)ored earnesth' to ;u:hieve suc- 
cess and it can truthfully be said that none of the citizens of Wisconsin have been 
more deservedly successful than have thev. 

Henry Boyle, the elder of the Bo\'le brothers, was born in Waterloo, Seneca 
einintv. New York, in the \c,ii iSio. His parents, Patrick and Marv Bo)le, were 



RKI'KKSKNIA IIVK MKN Oh' TIIK ('NrrKI) STATKS; WISCONSIN VOI.UMK. 485 



both natives of Ireland. His lather was a man ol j^ood common sense and busi- 
ness ability. He was a successful merchant in Waterloo, New York. Unfortu- 
nately he died in the very prime of life, when Henry was but a lad of four or five 
and John was an infant in arms. After his death his business, deprived of its head, 
became unprofitable, and his widow, althouj^'h not penniless, was left in rather 
straitened circumstances. Henry attended the common schools, and ad(l(;d to the 
tinancial supplies of the family by working at such odd jobs as he could find. At 
the age of sixteen he came west to Wisconsin and remain(;d in Green Lake county 
for a year and a half, working on a farm. He then returned to New York and be- 
gan working at the nursery business. When he was twenty one years of age he 
began the nursery business on his own account. About two years later he sold 
out his business and located in Fond du Lac, W^isconsin, arriving there on the 22d 
day of August, 1873. Forming a partnership with his uncle, P. F. Crosby, and his 
brother, John T. Boyle, he began to manufacture dry hop yeast, under a brand 
known as the "American." After manufacturing and selling this brand for some 
three years, meeting with but moderate success, the firm was dissolved and Henry 
and John T. Boyle entered business by themselves. 

At that time Boyle Brothers originated the idea of manufacturing a five-cent 
jKickage of yeast. Before this a ten-cent package was the smallest that could be pur- ■ 
chased. They called their brand "Yeast F"oam," and the demand for this brand 
steadily increa.sed. Their yeast business at that time was not of sufficient magni- 
tude to require all of their time, so the brothers embarked into the retail grocery bu.si- 
ness and continued to conduct both until 1885. In the grocery business they were 
also very successful and transacted the largest wholesale and retail business of its 
kind in Fond du Lac. B(jth the grocery and yeast business grew so rapidly and to 
such large proportions that the good com mtjn sense of the brothers showed them that 
they could not conduct both enterprises as they should be managed; so they deter- 
mined to sever their connection with one or the other of their establishments, and 
therefore sold their grocery business and devoted their entire time to the manage- 
ment of their yeast factory, which under their skillful control grew in prosperity 
until its output became the largest of its kind in the United States. They manufac- 
ture two-thirds of all the dry hop yeast sold in this country. 

In April, 1893, the Messrs. Boyle Bros., associated with F. W. Gillett, of Chi- 
cago, and other capitalists, organized and incorporated under the laws of the State 
of Illinois the Northwestern Yeast Company, of Illinois. This company is capi- 
talized for s 1,000,000, all paid up. The new company purchased the plants, good 
will, secrets, etc., of the Boyle Bros., for $600,000 cash, and paid E. W. Gillet 
S400,ooo for his yeast plant, good will, etc. E. W. Gillet was elected president, and 
Henry Boyle vice-president, of this company, the largest yeast manufacturing com- 
pany in the world. By the union (A the two companies which were absorbed by 
the new company, competition is reduced co a minimum and larger profits are as- 
sured to the stockholders. The business has started ])rosperously, and the first 



486 H1(k;RAI'II1CA1- DlCrniNAKV and 1'(1KTKAIT CAI.I.KKV (IF TIIK 



quarterly dividend recently paid (1893) i^ highly satisfactory to the stockholders. 

Unparalleled success is assured to the Northwestern Yeast Company, of Illinois, 
as the combined experience and knowledge of E. W. Gillet and the Boyle broth- 
ers insures careful and economical management in all branches, and profitable re- 
turns are certain to result. 

Mr. Boyle is a member of the Catholic church. He is much esteemed socially, 
and for the past five years, ever since its organization, he has been president of the 
Fond du Lac branch of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. 

In I 888 Mr. Boyle was married to Miss Julia Gary, a native of Chicago, Illi- 
nois. One child, an infant son named Francis Henry, has blessed this marriage. 



DANIEL SHAW, 

EAU CLAIRE. 

BY llie death of Daniel Shaw, which occurred October 22, 1881, the business 
fraternity of the Northwest lost one of its ablest members and the city of 
Eau Claire one of its most highly respected citizens. He was born in Industry, 
Maine, March 30, 181 3, and was a son of Daniel and Mehitable (Oilman) Shaw. 
His parents were natives of Tamworth, New Hampshire, of English descent and of 
good Christian ancestors. His father was a farmer in early life and later a dealer 
in meats at Bangor, Maine. He was possessed of good executive ability, a man 
of atiairs, and a member of the Congregational Church, and was beloved for his 
many admirable traits of character. He died in Industrv, Maine, at the age of 
sixty-eight years. 

The subject of this sketch grew up under the parental roof, and received a 
limited education in the common schools. He was endowed by nature with a 
sound head and he made the best possible use of his opportunities. He was gifted 
with a talent for mathematics, and his proficiency in that direction adapted him for 
the large enterprises which he carried to success. In the autumn of 1833, in his 
twenty-first year, he began lumbering on his own account during the winters in 
his native State, but had previously operated a mill for others. In 1851 he went 
to Honeyoye, (now Alma) Allegany county. New York, and there continued the 
business for five years, with fair success. The field of operations, however, was 
too narrow, and with a view to finding a wider scope for the exercise of his powers, 
he removed to Wisconsin in 1855, and, having thoroughly explored the Chipjiewa 
valley, selected it as the field for his future operations. In 1856 he located in Eau 
Claire. He purchased a half interest in a large tract of pine land on the Chip- 
pewa river and its tributaries. This was then a wild region, and the establish- 



■f^ w^^ 




^^^^i) // -7 f (^-^ ilf^ //^^ 



REPRESEXPATIVE MEN OF THE UXITEI) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 4S9 



ment of his large business was attended with many difficulties, but these only 
spurred him to renewed exertions, which, coupled with sound judgment and prac- 
tical knowledj^c, carried him to success. Immediately upon his arrival in Eau 
Claire, in company with his brother-in-law, C. A. Bullen, he proceeded to get out 
logs for sawing, and in the following spring built a mill on the site now occupied 
by the Daniel Shaw Lumber Company. In 1867 this mill was destroyed by fire, 
and a new and larger mill was erected. In 1874 the business of Daniel Shaw & 
Company was incorporated under the name of the Daniel Shaw Lumber Company. 
From that time until his death Mr. Shaw served as president of that successful 
corporation. In the lumber business Mr. Shaw was in his element. Hesharedthe 
fare of his men, led them through trackless forests, forded streams, built rude huts 
and encouraged them by his matchless energy. He had the cjuality in him to 
make others do his bidding and trust him. 

He was married September 26, 1841, at Industry, Maine, to Ann Foster 
llutchins. Mrs. Shaw is a woman of great ability and magnetic jiower; of rare 
mental, moral and social (lualities and a model mother, her life has been devoted 
to the happiness of her husband, and in scattering sunshine in the circle of her 
own famil)' and alleviating the sufferings of the needy. Three sons were born to 
them, one of whom, Charles, a young man of great promise, died in 1863. The 
remaining two, Eugene and George B., the latter of whom ])assed awa3'in the sum- 
mer of 1894, are represented biographically in this volume. Mrs. Shaw was born 
in Industry, January 31, 181 5, and is the daughter of James and Anna (Sullivan) 
Hutchins, natives of the same State. Her father was a sea captain in earl)' life, 
and later a merchant. He lived to the age of eighty years. His wife ]iassed 
awav at the age of fifty-six years. F"or forty years Mr, and Mrs. Shaw pa.ssed 
through life hand in hand, and during that entire time not a cross word passed 
their lips nor misunderstandings of any kind marred their happiness. 

Daniel Shaw was a broad-minded man, a stranger to bigotry. His widow is 
(luietly devoted to benevolent work, and many have abundant cause to feel grate- 
ful for her charitable kindness. In his benevolent work Mr. Shaw followed the 
Bible injunction of not letting his right hand know what his left hand did. Many 
is the poor man he has helped to pay his rent, many the widow he supplied with 
wood and Hour. In the rough pine countries he has been known to carry a sack 
of flour on his back for miles, across swollen streams and through pathless forests 
to relieve some one in distress. Such acts are remembered and live in the minds 
of men, when monuments crumble and decay. Such acts cause men to believe 
in their fellow men. He was identified with the Congregational Church, although 
not a member of the organization, and helped to build every church erected in the 
city up to the time of his death. There were few men in his day, in the North- 
west, that were his peers in the development of the resources of the country, and 
none more devoted to the interests of his fellow men. His work was done with- 
out ostentation, and in his quiet, unassuming way he aided all improvements and 



490 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT OALLERY OF THE 

added most materially to the prosperity of Eau Claire. When he first looked upon 
the site of the city, in 1855, the sound of the a\ had hardly disturbed the solitude 
of the forest, and he witnessed it expand to the proud city it now is. Politically 
he was originally a Whig, but after the formation of the Republican party he affili- 
ated with that political organization. He was frequently urged to accept nomina- 
tions for political offices, but invariably declined, preferring the quiet of his home 
and his private interests to political positions of any kind. His business career 
was remarkable for persevering energy, and an unswerving fidelity to duty; and 
his success was the gradual outcome of intelligent, persistent and honorable effort. 
Conservative in judgment he contributed to the success of many enterprises. Al- 
though so successful in life, and so implicitly relied upon, Mr. Shaw was a man of 
great modesty of character. He despised false show of all kinds. He was as firm 
as the rock during his entire life, never hasty in decision, weighing both sides care- 
fully; but, when once decided, steadfast and resolute. His career illustrates most 
forcibly that if a man be possessed of firmness of character, industry and integrity 
he can through his own exertions attain a prominent position, and earn for himself 
a name that will live long after he lies underneath the sod. Though Daniel Shaw 
has passed from earth, and the surroundings which his presence brightened are 
desolate and sad; although his kindly face is seen no more, and his voice is never 
heard, he still exists, for in the hearts of those he loved so dearly his image is en- 
graved, and "to live in hearts we leave behind is not to die." 



A. M. PENNEY, 

WAUPACA. 

THE SUBJECT of this sketch is one of Waupaca's prominent busi. less men. 
He was born on a farm in the town of Henderson, Jcilcrson county. New 
York, on February 15, 1851, and is the son of Asher P. and Harriet l\l. {/icc 
Dewey) Penney. 

In 1855, while the son was yet a child, the father moved West and settled on 
a farm in Farmington, Waupaca county, Wisconsin, where our subject grew to 
manhood and received his education in the district school of the neighborhood. 
Being a boy of more than ordinary intelligence, his father desired to give him the 
advantages of a collegiate education, and sent him to Ripon College. Sickness, 
however, overtook the child after he had been there six months, which prevented 
his further pursuit of education. Being then seventeen years of age, he returned 
home and began as.sisting his father on the homestead. At the age of twenty-one 
he left home and bought a farm, in the same township where his father's farm 



RKi'KKSKNTA ri\i-: Mi:\ (ii riii: rxrri;ii siatks; wiscdxsix voi.r.MK. 491 



was located, and devoted his entire time and attention to its cultivation. He re- 
mained on his farm until 1880, when he was so broken in health throu<^h overwork 
tliat he found a change imperative. Discontinuing his labors, he moved to Wau- 
paca, where he began dealing in potatoes. The business in this line had until that 
time been carried on in a slipshod fashion, and Mr. Penney soon saw tlic oppor- 
tunity of his life. From the handling of less than seventy carloads of potatoes 
the first }ear, his business has grown until he at present disposes of and ships 
nearly a thousand carloads of tubers annually, which represented a valuation of 
over 5400,000 in 1893 ^"^1 which is constantly increasing. When Mr. Penney em- 
l)arked in the enterprise he carried on the business in his own name, but in 1883 
he formed a partnership with Mr. T. I.. Jeffers, under the firm name of Jefifers & 
Penney. This cojiartnership continued until iSSq, when Mr. Penney secured the 
entire business. The business as first carried on was exceedingly crude. It con- 
sisted in buying and loading directly in the cars, without any particular care as to 
the grades. The following year Mr. Penny secured a part of a warehouse, and 
in 1883 erected a frost-proof building, in which the sorting and packing is carried 
on. During 1893 Mr. Penne)- felt the need of a branch warehouse in Chicago, and 
one was built within the same fall and early winter. From here the product is 
delivered by his own teams to all the largest hotels and restaurants in Chicago. 
This branch of the business, though yet new, is fraught with great possibilities. 
For the product in which Mr. Penney deals he has found a m.arket throughout 
ihe entire United States. While Chicago is the principal shipping jioint, large 
ijuantities are shipped to New York, St. Louis, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Cal- 
ifornia points. 

The complaint is very often heard that this old world of ours is worn out and 
decrcpid and that there is no more chance for the rising generation. The illus- 
tration here presented forcibly shows the fallacy of such opinion. The chances 
for success in this world are greater than ever, but the trouble lies with the seeker 
for opportunities. 1 lumanity is too prone to endeavor to look be\'ond its range 
of vision, and see ojiportunities where none exist. The old maxim of doing with 
your might what your hands find to do was never more applicable than in the 
present day of the world. Mr. Penney has not limited his dealings to the one 
staple, but has also added eggs to his line, and has disposed of upwards of forty 
thousand dozen annually. He is also interested in the real-estate firm of Boyce, 
|effers & Penney, in Chicago, with a branch office at Alexandria, Indiana. While 
this firm have done some commission business the bulk of the trade is in their own 
property. 

The success of Mr. Penney in all his business ventures is directly attributable 
to his close attention to ailairs at hand, his good judgment and his careful man- 
agement. 

In political life Mr. Penney is a member of the Republican party, and the 
only reason that he has not been honored by his fellowmen with ofiice or 



4g2 BIOr.RAl'HICAl. DICTIONARY AND I'l )Rl-KAri' CAI.I.KRV dK THE 

political preferment is becnuse of his oft-expressed desire to be left in the seclu- 
sion of his home life. This has kept him aloof from what most men dearly crave 
and seldom obtain. 

Mr. Penney was married Si-ptember 15. 1874, to Miss Mary J. Fowlie. They 
have an interesting famil\- of tlirc-c daughters: Rose, Eva and Etta. They attend 
the Methodist Episcojial ehureh. In iSqi Mr. Penney took possession of the most 
beautiful residence in Waupaca, (ireat as has been the success of Mr. Penney, 
it is beyond dispute that he is the architect of his own fortun(\ — there has been 
no combination of lucky circumstances in his favor. 

In one paragraph Mr. Penney's strong characteristics are well estimated by a 
Waupaca business man, who says: " I would trust Tvlr. Penney with everything I 
possess, without a cpiestion, and would take his opinion on business matters before 
that of any other man I know. I thmk he is one of the most level-headed men I 
ever knew." With his success, career and pleasant home Mr. Penney has much 
reason to be satisfied. 



THEOBALD OTJEN, 



MILWAUKEE. 



THEOBALD OTJEN was born October 27, iSsi, at West China, St. Clair 
county, Michigan. liis father, John C. Otjen, immigrated to the United 
States from Oldenburg, Germany, when he w.is eighteen years old, and settled at 
Cincinnati, Ohio, then a place of but 1,503 inhabitimts. He afterwards became a 
prosperous farmer in St. Clair countv, Michigan. 

There were four bovs and two girls in the tamih', \iz. : John C. Otjen, who 
now resides near Toledo, Ohio; Christian C. Otjen, who is superintendent of the 
Illinois Steel Company, at Milwaukee; Rev. W^illiam Otjen, a Methodist clergy- 
man at Lighthouse, Illinois; Theobald, the subject of this biography ; Mrs. Wening, 
who lives at the old familv homestead in St. Clair county, Michigan; and Mrs. 
Richie, of ^lilwaukee. 

Owing to the death ot the mother, and the subsecpient illness of the father, 
the familv became scattered, Theobald, at the age of six, finding a home in the 
family of his uncle, who was a farmer. Here he was subjectc^l to hard work, a for- 
tunate circumstance ultimately, as it resulted in his abandoning the farm at the age 
of twelve to find a field of larger possibilities and of greater usefulness. With 
characteristic dL^termination he set out for Marine Citv, ^Michigan, where his sister 
Mrs. Wening, li\'ed at that time. WHiile there his manliness attracted the atten- 
tion of Miss Ward, familiaiiv known as "Aunt Emilv," into whose home he was 
taken as one ot the tamiU'. She was to him a friend, a counselor, — in fact, a 



KKI'KLSK.N IAII\ li MKX OF Till-; L'MTKD STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 495 



mother; and it was her influence that largely shaped his subseciuent career. He ac- 
companied Miss Ward to Detroit soon afterward, whither she went to keep house 
for her brother, Captain E. B. Ward, the founder of the iron works at Wyandotte, 
Cliicago and Milwaukee. .Here he resided from 1867 to 1870, and then spent two 
years at Milwaukee as yard foreman at the Iron Company's works; returning to 
Detroit in 1872, he made the best of his opportunities^ at school. He gained a 
local reputation as a debator even before he was of age. 

Following his natural bent, he entered the law department of Michigan Uni- 
versity, at Ann Arbor, in 1873, at the age of twenty-two, and, pursuing other special 
studies, was graduated two years later. He practiced law at Detroit four years, 
and in 1S82. removed to Milwaukee, where he entered into partnership with his 
brother, C. S. Otjen, in law and real estate business. Through hard and conscien- 
tious work he has built up a large and substanti;il business, and his advice and 
counsel is much sought. 

Though not a politician in the ordinary acceptance of that term, Mr. Otjen 
has been and is active in behalf of the best interests of society. His maiden polit- 
ical speech, delivered before a large assembly of men from the Bay View Rolling 
Mills, during the campaign of 1872, made a very favorable impression on them, 
and although but twenty-one years old at the time, he was elected captain of the 
Bay \'iew Marching Club. 

In 1883 he was elected village attorney of Bay \'iew, which office he held 
until 1 887, and later served three terms of years as Alderman from the Seventeenth 
ward, in which capacity he won the confidence and esteem of his constituents. 
Public-spirited and progressive, he has been identified with every important move 
ment to advance the city. 

While chairman of the committee on legislation, he was largely instrumental 
in securing the passage of the public-park bill, by which Milwaukee has been pro- 
vided with a splendid system of parks. His influence, as much as that of any 
other person, secured for the city the National G. A. R. encampment of .August, 
1 88c). 

He has i)articularly sought to advance the interests of that part of the city 
south of Kinnikinnick river, and his popularity is well attested by the fact that, 
as candidate for Comptroller in 1890, he received some eleven hundred votes 
more than Mr. Brown, the head of the ticket, and received an unusually stiong 
support in his own and adjacent wards. 

During his term as Alderman he was one of the most popular members of 
that body, and at the beginning of his second term lacked but one vote of being 
elected president of the same. He serv(;d on the judiciary and other important 
committees. He has al.so filled the position ot trustee of the Public Library, and a 
similar position in connection with the Mu.seum. Mr. Otjen is generally known as 
a clear and convincing debater, and possesses a reputation of fairness among those 
who differ from him in opinion. 



4q6 I'.HUiKArilU'Al. niCTloNAKV AND l'( )KI'KA II' C.Al.LEKV OK TIIK 



He has always affiliated with the Republican party, and takes strong grounds 
on the policy of protection. He was, in 1S92, president of the Bay \ iew Repub- 
lican Club, an organization with five hundred members. He was a member of 
the Republican State Central Committee from 1886 to 1888. He has been his 
party's nominee for Congress in the past, and though defeated received a vote 
that showed his strength and popularity. 1 his year (1894) h^' was again nom- 
inated by the Republican party and was elected a member of the Fiftv-fourth 
Congress, by a plurality of 5,622 

Although not a member of any religious denomination, he has usualh' attended 
and generously contributed to the support of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
He has been a trustee of the Fort Street Methodist Episcopal Church of Detroit, 
and of the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church of Milwaukee. Liberal in his 
religious views, he has trcquently given substantial encouragement to other denom- 
inations. 

In 1879 he was united in marriage to Miss Louisa E. Heames, daughter of 
Hon. Henry Heames, of Detroit, and they have one son and two daughters. 

Mr. Otjen has been a member of the Royal Arcanum since 1879, and has 
always held an office in the subordinate Council, and has been a member of the 
Grand Councils of Michitran and Wisconsin. 



HON. DAVID v\USTIN, 

LA CROSSE. 

D.WID AUSTIN is a native of Scotland, where he was born in 1S26. He came 
with his parents to America in 1835, and passed his 3'outh in Cattaraugus 
county. New York. His education was obtained in the public schools, and at the 
age of twenty-two he embarked in business for himself in the lumber trade, locat- 
ing at Allegany, a small town in western New York, on the bank of the river of 
the same naine. Here he carried on business with constantly increasing prosper- 
ity tor seventeen years; for he closely applied himself, became familiar with all 
the details of the trade and by his well directed etiorts won success. On the 
expiration of that period, being convinced that he could do better in the rapidly 
growing West, he closed out his affairs in New York and went to Cleveland, Ohio, 
where he engaged in the same line of business, there carrying on operations dur- 
ing the subsecjuent four years; but he felt that still further West the oppbr 
tuniti^s would be better, and this again led to a change of residence. He made 
Wisconsin liis destination, and on his arrival in this State formed with the late 
.\. E. Sawyer an association which continued uninterruptedly until Mr. Sawyer's 



REPRKSKXTATIVE MKN OK lUE liNllKl) STATES; WISCONSIN VOI.IME. 497 



death, and wliich brought prosperity to both gentlemen. Mr. Sawyer was a 
resident of Hhick River Falls, and thc> firm of Sawyer & Austin was formed for 
the purpose of carrying on a general logging and lumber business on the Black 
river. The headc]uarters of the firm were at La Crosse and Mr. Austin removed 
to this city in 1S7J. In 1884 the business was incorporated with a capital stock 
of $340,000, and in 1887 Mr. Sawyer died, since which time Mr. Austin has been 
jM'esident of the company. The log supply of this company is obtained from 
their large tracts of land on the Black and Chippewa rivers. 

Mr. Austin has never taken an active jiart in politics, but has always been a 
consjiicuous figure in all those enterprises which are calculated to advance the gen- 
eral welfare of the city and State in which he makes his home, and has won an 
enviable reputation for honorable and ujiright dealing. It is not, therefore, to be 
wondered at that the citizens of La Crosse, without regard to party, nominated 
and elected him to the office of Mayor, in 1887. No better way could we take to 
show the regard in which he was held by his fellow townsmen than by quoting 
from the papers published in his county. The Chronicle, of La Crosse, said ed- 
itorially: "Mr. David Austin, who has been nominated for Mayor, is a man noted 
for his candor, fairness and good sense. He is a representative business man, the 
operating head of the large Sawyer & Austin Lumber Company, and one whose 
daily walk in his business and life is all the testimony that is needed to his fitness 
for any public trust." 

The Republican and Leader said: "Mr. David Austin, the candidate for 
Mayor, is respected by all who know him. He is a gentleman, socially, and a man 
of good executive ability and sound judgment, as shown by the management of 
his own business afiairs. The man who can successfully carry on a business of the 
])roportions of the firm of Sawyer cS: Austin, and who has had the business ex- 
perience that he must have in dealing with other business men, and who is per- 
sonally interested in our city, is well t]ualified for Mayor." That the people were 
of the same opinion is evidenced by the fact that Mr. Austin's majority was 1,028 
votes. During part of the time that he has lived in Wisconsin he made his home 
in Sparta, and the citizens chere, who hold him in high esteem, sent him the follow- 
ing congratulatory telegram, as soihi as the result of the election became known to 
them : 

Si'AKTA, Wis.. April K), 18S7. 
I b IN. Dav 1 1) ArsriN: — 

^'our friends and former neighbors of Sparta send greetings and congratula- 
tions. Our confidence in the future prosperity of La Crosse is strengthened by 
your election to the Mayoralty. — Signed by seventeen of the leading citizens and 
business men of Sparta, regardless of politics. 

Mr. Austin takes a deep interest in educational matters and is one of the most 
influential members of the School Board. He also belongs to the Nineteenth Cen- 
tur\ Club, a literarv association, and the La Crosse Club, a social organization. 



4Q8 moCKAl'IIICAI, DICTIOXAKV AND roRTRAIT CALLERY OF THE 

In an extended notice of the Sawyer & Austin Lumber Company, the North- 
western Lumberman, of October 21, 1893, pays the following tribute to its irresi- 
dent: "There is in the lumber business to-day no finer specimen of the old-school 
business man than David Austin. He is above all a kindh'man, — -generous in dis- 
position, genial in temperament and broad of view. He is anxious to think well of 
all men and looks only for their good side. He is full of charity for others' faults, 
and full of sympathy for the sorrow of others. He is a grand specimen of man- 
hood, and as his whitening hairs tell of the relentless ravages of age, they speak 
but of the beauty of a long life well lived. There are men who grow grandly old, 
— and such a man is David Austin. Such a man was the partner who associated 
with him for so many years, and who left him to finish alone his part of the work 
they began together; and these two men, who for .so many years labored with a 
common purpose for a common result, builded not only a successful business, but, 
what is rare and by far worth more, a reputation for honesty and fairness which 
has given the Sawyer & Austin Lumber Company a hard-earned prestige." 

Mr. Austin has been twice married. His first wife, whom he married in 1851, 
was Miss Lavina Crosby, of Franklinville, New York, and her death, occurred 
October i, 1864. In 1866 he was united in marriage with Miss Millie Baillet, 
daughter of Hon. Francis E. Baillet, who was County Clerk of Cattaruagus coun- 
ty. New York, for nine years. When President and Mrs. Cleveland visited La 
Crosse, in 1888, Mr. Austin had the pleasure of escorting the lady of the White 
House during her stay in the city, and he recalls the fact with much pleasure, 
bearing testimony, as so many others have done, to Mrs. Cleveland's loveliness of 
character. 



JAMES L. GATES, 

MILWAUKEE. 

THE subject of this sketch, James Leslie Gates, was born in the Adirondack 
mountains. New York, December 22, 1850, and traces his ancestry in a 
direct line to General Gates of Revolutionary tame. His father, who died in 
1885, was Daniel Gates, and his mother, who is still living, was, before her mar- 
riage, Miss Jane Hewett. 

James' educational advantages were very meagre, his entire schooling covering 
a period of but three months. The great school of experience, however, did more 
for him than the teachings of the pedagogues could possibly have done, and hi.^^ 
powers of conversation and general knowledge of practical affairs are far superior 
to those of many of the graduates of our leading institutions of learning. 

In 1856 his parents removed to Wisconsin and located at Neillsville, and 
there our subject began his battle with the world. 





/^^>f>|X^<P' 




^^^^^ 



Ri:i'Ki:SKNIATIVK MKX OF TIIK UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOUMK. 



Tlie Northwestern Lumberman of July 24, 18S6, give's a most entertaining 
sketch of Mr. Gates' life, from which we quote the following: 

" When only sixteen years old he was foreman in a logging camp, a position 
that is supposed to rightfully belong to men who have had experience in lumber 
operations and in handling men. It was a surprise in the lumber circles of that 
section that ' Jimmy ' (iates, as he was commonly known, should be 'boss,' but 
there was not a more successful camp on Black river than his. He was instru- 
mental in building the railroad from iMerrillon to Neillsville, now belonging to the 
Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Rp.ilroad Company; and, when told by 
the leading men of tiiat district that such a road was impracticable, he proved 
that it was not so by going to work and surveying the route himself. In 1S79, 
though he knew nothing practically about banking, he started the Neillsville bank 
alone, ran it successfully for three years and then withdrew, leaving it one of the 
foremost institutions of its kind in Wisconsin." 

The largest mercantile concern in Neillsville is the firm of Gates, Stanard & 
Co., of which Mr. Gates is the founder and senior partner. He erected in that 
city a number of buildings, including the two finest lirick blocks in the place. 
He put in electric lights at his own expense, brought the telegraph and telephone, 
had charcoal kilns built, and made arrangements to have the United States Signal 
Service reports sent daily by wire. In short, in every enterprise in his city he 
was the chief promoter. It is not to be wondered at that a man of his nature 
should be always on the lookout for business openings, and naturally he turned 
his attention to the Lake Superior country ;is possessing natural resources to an 
almost limitless extent. He made large inirchascs of timlier ;ind mineral land in 
that country, and was one of the proprietors of the enterprise to secure the fran- 
chises from both the United States and Canadian governments to build a railroad 
through the Sault Ste. Marit;, and became a director of the company organized 
for that purpose. 

His chief business interest, however, is in pine lands, and it is not strange 
that his inclinations should turn that way, as he was born in the pine forests of 
New York and reared in tho.se of Wisconsin. .\s a child he followed his father, 
who was a timber inspector, through the woods, and thus acquired a knowledge 
of the Wisconsin pine forests that is unsurpas.sed even by any Indian in the State, 
and it is this knowledge that has aided so materially in bringing to him his 
wealth, for he knew where the good and cheap timber was, and at the proper 
time was prepared to turn his woodcraft to good account. 

He has never had any financial interest in sawmills, preferring to operate in 
logs, which he has done heavily. In the season of 1883-4 ^^^'^tes &. Hewett 
banked forty-one million feet of logs, and the following season twenty million, 
while in 1885 Mr. (iates alone banked thirty-six million feet, an amount exceeded 
by few operators in the Northwest. To do this work six hundred men were 
required, and in overseeing it Mr. Gates' great capacity for work is shown, as he 



502 KIOGKAl'lllCAL DICTIONARY AM) riiRTRAIT GALI.KRV OF THE 

had neither clerk nor bookkeeper, a record that probably stands alone in the 
history of the lumber business. His present holdings of pine lands in the States 
of Wisconsin and Florida, in which latter he has largely invested, are seven hun- 
dred thousand acres, and his ownership of Southern pine alone aggregate two 
billion eight hundred million feet. In short, he is the largest individual holder in 
the country. 

A few years since he purchased the jiostofhce building at Milwaukee for 
$256,000, from the Ciovernment, and resold it to Daniel Wells, jr., at an advance 
of $25,000 above what it cost him. 

In the course of his business career he has, as all mm have done, met some 
losses, but never where he had entered a project upon his own judgment, — only 
when he had relied upon the judgment of others. 

Another claim to distinction which he enjoys is that of carrying more insur- 
ance on his life than any other man in Wisconsin, the amount being in round 
numbers a lialf million dollars, while he has paid in premiums to the various 
companies nearly if not quite a hundred thousand dollars. But it is not only in 
the field of finance and commerce that Mr. Gates is a commanding figure. He 
believes, with Carlyle, that there are nobler things in life than the attainment 
of all the gold in California or all the suffrages on the planet. He believes in 
helping others, and in bestowing the results of his judgment and labor so that it 
will benefit his fellow man. Yet he makes no parade of his benefactions, and 
they are generally known from the recipients of his favor. 

As a writer he is clear and forcible, and has written many articles on the 
money question in favor of the free coinage of silver, and against the appreciation 
of gold, as well as upon the question fraught with such great interest to the 
American people — the tariff. In his political faith he is a member of the Repub- 
lican party; indeed, with his progressive ideas, he could not consistently belong 
to any other, yet he has no desire for office, being content to let others strive for 
official position, while he attends to his own private affairs. In fact, he is too 
plain-spoken to make a politician. 

He is a member of the Masonic order, though not an active one, and without 
making an}' ostentatious professions of religion, is a sincere believer in the doc- 
trine of tlie Christian faith as taught by the Congregational Church, of which 
he is a member. He credits Mr. Tittsworth, pastor of Plymouth church, Milwau- 
kee, as being the broadest-gauged minister of the gospel now in the Northwest 
or Northeast. 

Mr. Gates has been twice married, his first wife, who was Miss Lydie Eyerly, 
of Neillsville, and by whom he has two children, Robert and Edith, died in 1S84. 
In July, 1S85, he was united to Miss Katherine Meade, of New Hampshire. They' 
have two children, Harrison Meade, who was born the day Benjamin Harrison 
was nominated for the presidency; and a daughter, Helen. 





^^M4urv^ 



RKPRESKXTATIVE MEN OP THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOI-UME. 505 



Mrs. Gates' American jirogenitorscame to America in the Mayflower, and she 
now has in her possession the bible that was brought over on that voyage. This 
interesting rehc, which was printed in 1611, was exhibited at the World's Colum- 
bian Exposition in 1893. 

Mr. Gates is a thoroughly popular man. As an acquaintance orce told him: 
"Even your enemies love you," and this Mr. Gates considers the greatest compli- 
ment that was ever paid him. 

In 1886 Mr. Gates removed with his family to Milwaukee, where he resides 
in one of the handsome homes on Prospect avenue. 

Mr. Gates is an indefatigable worker and throws his entire energy into what- 
ever he undertakes. 



ZALMON GILBERT SIMMONS, 



Db-EDS are thoughts crystallized, and, according to their brilliancy do we judge 
the worth of a man to the country which produced him, and in his works we 
expect to find a true index to his character. The study of the life of the represent- 
ative American never fails to offer much of pleasing interest and valuable instruc- 
tion, developing a peculiar mastering of expedients which has given a most wonder- 
ful result. 

The subject of this sketch is a worthy representative of that type of American 
character, that progressive spirit which promotes public good in advancing individ- 
ual prosperity. 

Among the men who have practically created Kenosha none have been of 
greater value to the community than Zalmon Gilbert Simmons. 

The Simmons family is of German-English origin, but so long a time has 
elapsed since the American advent of the ancestors of the; subject of this sketch 
that it is more appropriate to call it purely American. 

The grandfather of Mr. Simmons, Rou.se Simmons, accomjianied by his wife, 
emigrated from Rhode Island to Montgomery county. New York, during the first 
years of the nineteenth century, and was one o{ the pioneers of that State. There 
Ezra, the father of our subject, was born, on .\pril 3. 1805. 

The educational advantages of the country at thattime were exceedingly lim- 
ited, but by improving such opportunities as were offered, he equipped him.self for 
teaching, which with clerking furni.shed him employment in early life. While here 
Mr. Ezra Simmons met and married Miss Maria Gilbert, and on September 10, 
1828, Mr. Zalmon G. Simmons was born in the village of Euphrates, Montgomery 



5o6 HiociRArnicAL dictionary and portrait gallery of TIIK 



county, New York. Soon afterward Ezra Simmons, accompanied by his young 
wife and son, moved to Oneida county. New York, where he settled in the primi- 
tive woods, cleared and improved a farm on which he lived until 1839, when he 
went to Rome, the county seat of Oneida county. 

Inspired by the adventuresome spirit of youth, and the greater opportunities 
presented to the agriculturist in the wider fields of the West, Ezra Simmons re- 
moved to Benton township, Lake county, Illinois, coming by canal to Buffalo, 
and by steamer to Southport, now Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he arrived June 12, 
1843. 

Mr. Zalmon G. Simmons was in his fifteenth year when he landed at South- 
port, Wisconsin. He was a boy of strong physical powers, which were well devel- 
oped through assisting his father on the homestead. 

The primary education of Mr. Simmons was obtained at the common schools 
of Lake county, Illinois, where he attended until his eighteenth year, during the 
winter terms. Subsequent to leaving school Mr. Simmons taught for ^ome three 
winter terms, but on his twenty-first birthday left the farm and assumed the duties 
of a clerk in the general store of Seth Doan, a pioneer merchant of Kenosha. When 
Mr. Simmons arrived in Southport, beside, a very limited wardrobe, his entire wealth 
consisted of three dollars. However, he was engaged at the then magnificent salary 
of two hundred dollars per year and consequently thought himself well provided 
for. 

Not long after Mr. Simmons had begun his clerkship Mr. Doan decided to send 
him about three miles t)ut of the city to collect a debt from a man by the name of 
Campbell, who was preparing to leave town without jiaying his account. On foot 
Mr. Simmons made the distance, arriving early in the morning. He announced 
the object of his visit and was informed by Mr. Campbell that he could not pay 
his indebtedness. Satisfied that he was abundantly able to pay, Mr. Simmons 
chatted away until the noon hour, when the debtor withdrew and enjoyed the meal 
with his family. Mr. Simmons' reason for not eating was not lack of appetite, but 
rather of invitation. After dinner, Campbell suggested that he might as well re- 
turn, as the debt could not be paid; but Mr. Simmons observed that there was no 
law prohibiting staying, and he would remain to see him go, which, by the way, 
would not have been until the next morning. Becoming uneasy, Campbell went 
in, conferred with his sons, and returned with this proposition: Pointing out a 
certain nice steer in his herd which was feeding on the prairie some distance be- 
yond the house, he said that he would give him that animal if Mr. Simmons 
would receipt the bill and take the brute away, but if it was there next morning it 
would be driven off with the rest. The bill was receipted without a word and Mr. 
Simmons separated his steer from the rest and drove him toward the house, in 
which direction he went very readily. Finding that he was getting away from his 
mates, he threw up his licad, jumped the fences and back he went to the herd, 
while the Campbells raised a shout of triumph. A second trial resulted similarly. 



RKl'KKSKN TAIIVK MEN OF TIIK UMTKD STATES; WISCOXSIN VOLUME. 507 



only with a more exultant shout. Laying; aside his coat, the young clerk started 
after his animal; and after a chase of live hours the steer was conquered and be- 
came very tractable. Having returned for his coat he drove his captive on into 
the city, arriving there at eleven o'clock at night, just as Mr. English, a local 
butcher, was closing his shop. Mr. Simmons was ofTered by the butcher about 
the amount of the bad debt, and by midnight had the money in his pocket and went 
to bed dinnerless and supperless. The same indomitable perseverance which 
made this undertaking a success has characterized the man in the vast business 
enterprises that he has taken at the lowest ebb and pushed to the high tide of 
prosperity. 

The services of Mr. Simmons became invaluable to Mr. Doan, who was not 
in very go(jd health, and after a period ot six months he was given entire charge of 
the business. After sixteen months' services with Mr. Doan, Air. Simmons had 
saved $200 in cash, with which he bought the entire stock ot his cmjiloyer, which 
was valued at more than $12,000. Mr. Doan had unlimited faith in the ability of 
the young man, and by close attention to business he soon became one of the most 
prosperous merchants of the city. He spent nearly twelve years of his life in the 
mercantile business, and meanwhile became interested in various enterprises of im- 
portance and value. 

In 1856 Mr. Simmons acquired a half interest in the Wisconsin State Tele- 
graph Company, of which he became the president and manager until the lines were 
leased in 1881. The success of the project put on foot by the Wisconsin State 
Telegraph Company and pushed forward by Mr. Simmons, is without a parallel in 
the history of the telegraph business in the United States, and is given here be- 
cause of its great historic value. When Mr. Simmons paid $500 for a half interest 
in the! com]iany he paid every cent it was worth. The hne extended from Milwau- 
kee to Madi.son and was considered almost worthless. The great Northwest was 
just being developed: the mines of the Lake Superior region, fur traders in the 
Briti.sh possessions and other interests began to demand means of rapid communi- 
cation. Wherever po.ssible Mr. Simmons obtained money to improve and extend 
the service, sometimes from outside sources, but mostly out of his own pocket; and 
wherever his judgment considered it practical a line was forthwith constructed. 
No obstacles were permitted to stand in the way; through swamps and forests 
almost impenetrable, telegraph lines were extended, and the competent manage- 
ment soon .showed the effect of its unceasing labors. From the time of its pur- 
chase until the lease was made the business paid all of the cost of its construction, 
the interest on the capital invested and $1,000,000 besides. In 1881 the line 
was leased for ninety-nine years to the Western Union Telegraph Company, of 
which Mr. Simmons l)ecame one of the directors, which position he held for several 
years thereafter. The lines are leased at an annual rental of $100,000, so graduated 
that the company should, inside of sixteen years, pay $150,000 per annum, in addi- 
tion to paying 7 per cent, on a bond issue of •s 1 . 2 :;(), 000, which the old company 
authorized. 



joS Bioc.RAi'incAi, DicrioNAUY AND r()RrKArr cai.i.kkv ok the 

Before the war of the RebelHon was inauguarated a company had been or- 
f^anizcd to construct a raihx)a(l to be known as the Kenosha, Rockford & Rock 
Island Railway. The work of construction was begun from Kenosha west- 
ward and from K'oikford eastward, and many miles were built; but before the last 
twenty miles of road could be completed the company became hopelessly involved 
and turned to Mr. Simmons for relief. He was at once chosen presideilt, and by 
using his own means and endorsing the paper of the company finally succeeded in 
completing the road, .md on the day of the battle of lUiU Run ran the first train 
through for a meeting of the stockholders to be held at Harvard, Illinois. At that 
meeting he ])ro])osed to the stockholders to submit to an a.ssessment in order to 
equip the road. His proposal, however, was unanimously rejected, but his asso- 
ciates voted to turn the road over to Mr. Simmons to conduct as he pleased. This 
was far from encouraging, as the road was bonded for more than it was actually 
worth, and left Mr. Simmons with assets nearly $80,000 less than liabilities. On 
the return triji Mr. Simmons was seriously considering the advisability ot going to 
the front in preference to retaining his position as railroad president. Ht)wever, his 
inborn continuity conquered and he concluded to stay by it and see it through. 
The difficulties to be overcome in equipping the road and carrying on the business, 
paying 100 cents on the dollar during the unstable financial condition of war times, 
is impossible to relate; and a man with less forethought, iiliuk and financial ability 
would have surrendered. However, his telegraph business was prospering and he 
soon was able to free himself from his difficulties. 

In all home industries tending to build up Keno.sha Mr. Simmons has taken 
special interest. Few industries show more clearly the benefits derived from im- 
proved machinery than does the business carried on by the Northwestern Mattress 
Compau)-. The organization began operations in 1872, but its product was then 
cheese boxes. Soon att(n", liowever, it began the manufacture of wire mattresses, turn- 
ing out per year about i, 500, while now its daily output exceeds that amount by over 
50 percent. — a total of 2,500 mattresses per day. This is the most extensive manu- 
factory of its kind in existence, and the woven-wire mattress that formerly sold for 
$20, now is manufactured for 75 cents. Mr. Simmons founded the enterprise, 
and has been its president .since the business was established. lie helped to or- 
ganize the Si'ottord Manufacturing Company, the I>ane Manufacturing Comiiany,and 
through his ellorts, mainK', the brass works n'ere induccHl to loente in Kenosha. In 
a word, he has assisted nearly every manufacturing industry in Kenosha. 

In the year 1865 Mr. Simmons purchased a half interest in the First National 
Bank, of Kenosha, the oldest banking establishment in llie citw He then became 
president of that financial institution which, from the day oi his association with it, 
up to the present time, has been conducted in a manner beneficial not only to those 
financially interested but to the citv of Kenosha as well. The bank is and has 
been the clearing-house lor all the manufacturing establishments of Kenosh.i, ancl 
so faith full V has it siiuirded the interests of the manufacturers that during the en- 



KKl'RKSKNTATIVK MKN dl' THE L'NITKD STATES; \V1SC(1NSI!VI VOLUME. 50C> 



tire time, notwithstanding^ periods of financial depression, no default in the pJiy- 
ment of their employes has ever been made by the manufacturers of Kenosha. 

Mr. Simmons has not confined his operations to the city of Kenosha or th(>' 
State of Wisconsin. \'isitini,' Colorado with Mrs. Simmons, who sought recujiera- 
tion for her lu-allh in the pure mountain air, he concei\ed tlie idea of constructing 
a railroad trom Maiiitou Sidings to Tike's Peak. With him to conceive ft feasible 
undertaking was to jHit his plans into cxiHution. In ( )( tober, iSSc), the cofistruc- 
tion of the road was begun, and on June 30, 1891, the first train ascended the 
mountain's side, and, after an ascent of nine miles over a circuitous route, gained 
the summit at an altitude ol 14, 1 4 ;, feet, the highest ))oinl reached b\- rail on the 
face ol the globe. The road winds round the mountain; its road-bed is ol solid 
earth or masonry, with the exception of four chasms, which are spanned by iron 
bridges. The superstructure consists of three steel rails. The outer rails on which 
the weight of the locomotive rests are laid at standard gauge, and the center one 
is a compound cog rail on which the ])ropelling wheels of the engine act. 

Politically, Mr. Simmons has been a life-long Republican, and has been elected 
to fill a number of official jiositions. In 1865 he represented Kt'nosha county in 
the State Legislature, and in 1884 and 1885 served as Ma\-or of Kenosha. .\s 
Mayor of the city, he served his fellow citizens so faithfully and well that tor his 
services in that position alone his name should adorn a bright page in the history 
of the State. Previous to his acceptance of the mayoralty the city of Kenosha, 
in its endeavor to build a harbor and extend its railway connections, had become 
almost hopeles.sly involved in a debt which before it was settled amounted to the enor- 
mous sum of $1,750,000. Under so great a burden business became stagnant, 
populaticMi decreased and a pall of gloom hung over the city. To lift this veil was 
reserved for Mr. Simmons during his administration of the city's afifairs. 
fhrough the skillful management of the ma\(>r, the entire debt of the city was re- 
funded with 5200,000 worth of 1-20 bonds at five per cent. Covering a period 
of twenty years, Mr. Simmons labored without compensation and traveled 
much, bearing his own expenses to get that debt in a manageable condition. 
The result has been highly satisfactory, for it has done more to revive the town 
and invite industries than all else combined. 

On the 20th day of April, 1850, Mr. Simmons was married in Kenosha to 
Miss Emma E., the daughter of Captain Morris Robinson, a prominent pioneer of 
l^ake county, Illinois. Mrs. Simmons was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. 
Simmons have been blessed with six children. The eldest, Gilbert M., died in 
January, 1890. He was a man of ability and great promi.se, and his loss was 
mourned by the entire community. At the time of his death he was cashier of the 
P'irst National Bank of Kenosha. The others are: Nelson L., who died in child- 
hood; Minnie J., now Mrs. Arthur F. Towne, of Chicago; Emma Belle, now Mrs. 
A. H. Lance, of Kenosha; Ezra J., who died at the age of thirteen; and Zaimon 
G.. Jr., treasurer and general manager of the Davy Clay Ballast Co., of Kenosha. 

In religious faith Mr. Simmons is a Unitarian. Socially he is much esteemed 



5IO BIOGRAPIIICAL DICTIONARY AND I'ORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

and is one of the most companionable of men. He is a member of the Chicago 
Club, of Chicago, Illinois, and of the Milwaukee Club, of jNIilwaukee, Wisconsin. 

Such is tlu> biograph}- of one of the most enterprising of the leading citizens of 
Wisconsin. He has, through his inherent ability, steadfastness of purpose and in- 
defatigable energy, reached the high position he no\v occupies, and he is a njost 
illustrious prototype of the self-made man. 

With a name unsullied and a reputation without a blot, the possessor of an 
ample fortune obtained through his own exertions, possessing the respect of the en- 
tire community, — a community greatly benefited by his liberality and enriched by 
his counsel and labors, — there is no name more worthy of a prominent position in 
this work than is that of Zaimon G. Simmons. 



CHAUNCEY J. PETTIBONE, 

FOND DU LAC. 

AMONG the men who have won prominence and wealth in the State of Wis- 
consin the subject of this sketch deserves honorable and prominent men- 
tion. Coming to the State in 1850, he is one of her pioneer citizens, and, still in 
active life, is a leading figure in her business aftairs. 

The Pettibone family came originally from France, removing to Wales at the 
time of the Huguenot persecutions in the former country. Later, in 1664, a mem- 
ber 'of the family emigrated to America, settling at Windsor, Connecticut, and be 
coming the founder of the American branch of the family. 

Since then the history of the Pettibone family has been an illustrious one, 
and the members of succeeding generations enrolled themselves under their coun- 
try's flag, and fought to preserve their rights and liberties. 

Colonel Jonathan Pettibone, Colonel of the Eighteenth Connecticut Regi- 
ment, was an important figure in the Revolutionary war, serving with Washington 
at Brooklyn, and laying down his life for his country near White Plains, New 
York. His son (^zias, was a Lieutenant in the same regiment, and another, older 
member of the family had served as Captain in the Colonial army, at Bunker Hill. 

Colonel Jonathan's great-grandson, Hiram R., a lawyer of ability, was the 
father of our subject; and his mother, whose maiden name was Jane Curtis, was a 
member of the New England family of that name. Chauncey J., who was the 
eldest of the nine children of this worthy couple, was born March 3, 181 7, at 
Granby, Connecticut, at which point the first fifteen years of his life were passed, 
His education was that offered by the common schools of that time, and was 
limited at that, for when fourteen years of age he accepted a clerkship in a store, 



REPRESENIATIX K MKN OK THE UNIIEn STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 51! 



at a salary of $30 per annum, and was thus launched on what has proven a most 
sucresstul mercantile career. lie continued in this situation for a year, working 
zealously for his employer, but utilizing his spare hours for a continuation of the 
studies of which his retirement from school had deprived him. At the expiration 
of this period his father removed to Ohio, and Chauncey accompanied him, se- 
curing, soon after he arrived, a situation similiar to the one he had relinciuished. 

At the age of twenly-one, being determined to secure a better education than 
was then his, he entered the preparatory department of the Western Reserve col- 
lege, at Hudson, Ohio, and a half year later joined the freshman class, remaining 
in the institution one year. lie sustained himself during his collegiate course by 
getting a quart of milk daily from a neighboring farmer, and two loaves of bread 
weekly from the wife of a theological student, and once a week gave himself an 
extra treat by adding meat to his meager fare. Thus he lived at an expense of 
60 cents per week for a year and a half, when he again felt compelled to seek em- 
ployment, which he did at a general store, at Fremont, Ohio, where he remained 
several years, employing his leisure hours in studying Coke and Blackstone and 
reading works of an historical character. 

During all this time he economized as much as possible, and by laying aside 
a portion of his earnings was enabled at the end of three years to purchase a home 
for his father, thus showing a spirit of filial devotion that is all the more com- 
mendable because of its rarity. For two )ears more he continued to lay by his 
salary, until he had a capital of $200, with which he engaged in business for him- 
self at Fremont, Ohio, becoming associated with Mr. Works, of Rochester, — a 
connection that continued for five years, when Mr. Pettibone purchased Mr. 
Work's interest and carried on the business alone. In this he was successful, but, 
becoming imbued with a desire to go still further West, he journeyed to Portage, 
Wisconsin, in 1849, looked the locality over, and then returned to PVcmont and 
arranged to make Portage his future home. 

In 1850 he took to Portage the first stock of goods ever brought there, and it 
may be added that he also took the first piano, helped erect the first schoolhouse 
and engaged the first school teacher and music teacher. He was largely instru- 
mental in building the first Presbyterian church, being a contributor to the ex- 
tent of $2,000. His business at Portage proved very successful, and from time to 
time he established new stores in other Wisconsin cities, — first at Oxford, then at 
Lodi, Baraboo, Fonddu Lac, Neenah, Appleton, Green Bay, Ripon, Sheboygan and 
Kilbourn City. With the exception of the store at Fond du Lac, in which his son, 
C. V. Pettibone, is associated with him, and the one at Appleton, in which his son- 
in-law, George F. Peabody, is associated with him, he has since disposed of all 
these; but during the Civil war, and later, he was operating nine stores, and with a 
credit that has never been impaired. The great commercial crises of 1857, 1873 
and 1893 were passed through successfully, and his business career of half a cen- 
tury stands out clear and untarnished. 

.'\fter a residence of ten years at Portage Mr. Pettibone moved to Appleton, 



512 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

but did not remain there long, coming, two years later, to Fond du Lac, where he 
has since resided, and where he still labors with the same zeal that characterized 
his earlier years, enjoying the confidence of all who know him, and the affection- 
ate regard of those who know him best, doing good in many quiet ways, counsel- 
ing with others as they ask it, and, out of the store of his vast experience shar- 
ing with others the results of his industry and years of toil. He can indeed look 
back upon a life that has made a beneficial m.ark in the world, and that furnishes 
an example of industry, honesty, courage and high-minded character that the 
young men of this generation can emulate with great benefit to themselves. 

Mr. Pettibone makes no ostentatious profession of religion, but is a devout 
believer in the doctrine of Christian faith as taught by the Presbyterian Church, 
of which he has been (with a few years' exception, when he declined to serve) an 
Elder ever since his twenty-fifth year. 

Politically he is a loyal adherent to the cause of true Democracy, yet is not 
bound by party ties, and in casting his ballot votes for the candidate he believes 
best fitted for the office. Strongly opposed to slavery, he, during the war of the 
Rebellion, voted the Republican ticket. He is in no sense a politician and has 
never allowed his name to be used in connection with any political office. 

During all the years of his active career he has been a close student and is a 
man of large and varied information. Every department of modern inquiry finds 
in him a constant reader and a thoughtful scholar. While he never studied law 
with the intention of adopting it as a profession, he has nevertheless a well de- 
veloped legal mind; and, when a short time since he was entrusted with the man- 
agement of some complicated legal affairs in the State of Washington, he handled 
them so well that he was termed the "best lawyer of Whatcom county." 

Mr. Pettibone has been twice married. His first wife, to whom he was united 
in 1842, was Miss Caroline E. Peabody, of Middlebury, Vermont. Of this union 
were born nine children, four of whom are living. His present wife, to whom he 
was married in 1878, was Miss Charlotte A. Champion, a native of Brantford, 
Ontario. Mr. Pettibone is domestic in all his tastes and habits, and his home is 
one of the most hospitable in Fond du Lac. 



HON. NIRAN H. WITHER, 

LA CROSSE. 

THE LIFE record of him whose name appears above has been one of more 
than usual interest, and his career was of such benefit, and wielded such a 
wide influence over the people, not only of La Crosse but of the surrounding 
counties, that a sketch of his career will convey some idea of his usefulness in the 



I 






cy 



RKrKKSEXTATIVK MKX OF THE UNITED SIAIES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 515 

various walks of life. He was born in Norridgewock, Maine, June 21, 1827, the 
son of Zachariah and Polly (Longly) Withee, who were also born in ihe Pine Tree 
State, the father of Irish and the mother of English extraction. Zachariah Withee 
was born in Norridgewock, Maine, March 21, 1794, and was a leading agricultur- 
ist of the section in which he resided. He was a soldier in the war of 181 2, and 
for services rendered the ("lOvernmcMit in that capacity he received a land warrant. 
His wife was one of the noblest ot women and possc^ssed that breadth ol character 
which enabled her to befriend the distressed and needy as well as to feel perfectly 
at ease in the presence of learned and highly cultured people. F"or over fifty years 
slu' anil lu-r husband were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in 
that faith they were called from life. He died in La Crosse, Wisconsin, June 6, 
1875. '^'^ wife, also born in Norridgewock, Sej^tember 28, 1794,. died in La 
Crosse May 24, 1871. 

Mr. Niran H. Withee was one of seven children, and was given the rudiments 
of an academic education. When the tide of emigration swept westward Mr. 
Withee embraced the opportunity then afforded of being one of the pioneers of La 
Crosse county, Wisconsin, and in 1852 settled in this region, with the commercial 
interests of which he thoroughly identified himself, eventually becoming one of the 
most successful business men and extensive land-owners ot the county. 

Soon after his arrival he embarked in the lumber business, and his operations 
in that line became so extensive that in 1870 he removed to Clark county. From 
1857, however, he was closely identified with the logging interests of the Black river 
country in La Crosse county, and he was a prominent figure in all the pro- 
gressive business movements in the Black ri\er valley, in the lumber and 
Hooding-dam companies, and was scarcely ever without liea\v official respons- 
ibility of some kind. He did much to shape the polic\' and manage the 
affairs of Clark county, and was its treasurer from 1875 until his brother 
Hiram succeeded him in 1882. He represented that county for two terms in the 
General Assemblv of the State, where his ability as an able leader was felt and 
acknowledged. His integrit)' and uprightness of character won for him the regard 
of his contemporaries, and his clear, analytical and well poised mind and quick 
perception brought him into immediate recognition. His activity and keen busi- 
ness foresight led him into many important enterprises which have been of perma- 
nent benefit to the countr\ , and his generous impulses won him numerous friends, 
whom he rarely lost. 

.\t Hemlock he owne(l a large grist and saw mill. He was connected with a 
leading lumber firm of th^- city and was the moving spirit in the Island Mill Com- 
pany of La Crosse. Soon after his removal to Clark county he was elected a 
member of the Board of Supervisors, and during his official term the best interests 
of an appreciative constituency were well looked after. His manly character and 
true worth inspired confidence, and a faithful performance of duty secured its con- 
tinuance. He was modest in his estimate of himself, never forced himself upon 



5l6 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND Pt)R TRAIT (JALLERY OF THE 

public attention, and only filled public positions at the earnest solicitation of his 
numerous friends. He was diligent in business, amassed a large fortune, and 
gave freely to all benevolent enterprises. 

He was married to Mrs. Louisa (Wood) Stratton, widow of Avery Stratton, 
of New York, and daughter of Colonel Artemus Wood, of New Berlin, Chenango 
county, New York, the latter being a Colonel in the State militia. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Withee the following children were born: Niran Haskell, 
William Wood, Theodore Owen, and two who died in infancy. Mr. Withee was 
a Republican in politics. In social life he was highly esteemed for his cordial and 
agreeable manners, and in the domestic circle he was a model husband and 
father, loving his family with extreme devotion and making their happiness and 
comfort his chief aim and object in life. He never violated a friendship nor forgot 
a kind action done him, and although charitable in his deeds he was one of those 
who would tliat " the left hand should not know what the right hand doeth." He 
departed this life July 2, 1887, at the age of sixty-six years and eleven days. 



ALBERT E THOMPSON, 



ALBERT E. THOMPSON, son of John C. Thompson and Catherine M. 
Thompson, nee Cameron, was born October 28, 1850, in Pleasant Valley, 
Green Lake county, then known as Marquette county, Wisconsin. After a pre- 
liminary course of study in the public schools, he entered Ripon College. Leav- 
ing there in June, 1868, the following winter he engaged in teaching, and in April, 
1869, entered the law office of J. M. Fish, of Princeton, Wisconsin, and under him 
began the study of law. He was admitted to the bar in June, 1871, by the Hon. 
D. J. Pulling, then Judge of the Third Judicial Circuit, at Dartford, the county seat 
of Green Lake county. Immediately thereafter he formed a partnership with his 
former instructor, J. M. Fish, and at once entered upon the active practice of his 
profession. In the spring of 1879, Mr. Thompson severed his business partner- 
ship with Mr. Fish, and located in Oshkosh, where he became a partner of He- 
man B. Jackson, of that city, under the firm name of Jackson & Thompson. This 
partnershipcontinued ten years, being dissolved in May, 1889. Mr. Thomp.son then 
formed a partnership with Mr. A. W. Weisbrod and Mr. H. B. Harshaw, under 
the firm name of Weisbrod, Thompson & Harshaw. This partnership continued 
until April, 1892, when it wab dissolved by the death of Mr. Weisbrod. Then the 
firm of Thompson, Harshaw & Davidson was formed. 



kKl'KKSENTAllVE MEN OF THK L'MTED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 517 

Mr. Thoniix-^on lias distinguished himself as an attorney in some of the most 
important cases tlie State has known, and in which hiri^r interests were involved. 
He is a man who thorou-^hly loves his profession. 1 h- is eminentl\- ,i,'iflcd with the 
capacities of mind wliich are indispensable to success at the bar. He is an inde- 
fatigable worker, and being quick and keen in perceptio«i he has the faculty of 
grasping ail the details and intricacies of a case, and not losing sight of the essential 
facts and considerations involved in it. upon which the decision of every case finallv 
turns. In the diligence and care with which he sifts and marshals the 'facts and 
investigates the law he is unsurpassed in his profession. Asa counsel he is pains- 
taking and conservative, and his judgment can be safely depended upon. He 
never gives his opinions without the fullest investigation both of the facts and 
the law applicable to them, and never advises his clients to take a course of action 
which may_^be doubtiul in result without fully explaining to them the possible con- 
sequences. 

Mr. Thompson has an intuitive perception and love c^f justice, and he has as 
a consequence an instinctive appreciation of what courts may be persuaded to hold 
as law. He has, therefore, the great and conspicuous merit of never attempting 
to support positions as to law or facts which are in conflict with the probable pre- 
dispositions of the court whom he is addressing. His ettorts are n(5t confined to one 
branch of his profession, but he is occupied in a general line of cases, and engaged 
in a very extensive and varied line of legal practice, and is e(]uall\- proficient in 
them rill. 

Politically he has always affiliated with the Republican party. He early in 
life displayed those qualities which mark a natural leader; but, being devoted to his 
profession, and preferring professional to political advancement, he has devoted his 
time and attention to the law instead of politics. However, while a resident of 
Green Lake county, he was several times elected President of the village of 
Princeton, and also Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Green Lake count\-. 
He was also a delegate to the National Convention held in Chicago, in i8cSS, at 
wl'.ich lion. lUnjann'n I larrison was named as the candidate of the Republican 
party for President. In 1SS9 .Mr. Thompson was appointed speci.il Assistant 
United States Attorney, and since then has had charge of the litigation growing 
out of the improvement of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers. He is a member of the 
Masonic fraternity, having joined the blue lodge in 1871, and taken the Knights 
Templar degrees in 1883. 

He was married November 22, 1875, to Mary IClizabeth (ireen; they have 
two children: Madge E. and Charles S. Mr. Thompson and his familv are at- 
tendants of the Congregational church. 

Mr. Thompson owes his success in life to his indefatigable in(luslr\- and per- 
severance. He has achieved success both professionally and iinancially through 
his own efTorts. Personally and socially he has won hosts of friends by his un- 



5l8 BIOGRArUlCAl. DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

■ — ■ * 

tailin.i^ courtesy and ^enialitv. The domestic qualities, the love of wife, children 
and home, are developed in his constant solicitude and most generous provision 
for their happiness and comfort. He never forgets his home, and his highest 
aspiration is to have it continuously the abode of contentment. 



HON. F. W. VON COTZHAUSEN, 

MILWAUKEE. 

EWALD ALFRED ARTHUR FREDERICK WILLIAM yon COTZ- 
HAUSEN is a native of Rhenish Prussia. He was born on July 21, 1838, 
at "Cambach," an ancient castle near Aix-Ia Chapelle. In the Gotha Genea- 
logical Almanac of 1885 it is stated that he is the youngest son of Heinrich Wil- 
helm Ludwig, Freiherr von Cotzhausen-Wedau, who, under the regime of Napoleon 
1, acted as President du College Electoral, and was created a Baron de 1' Empire 
by Imperial decree of 181 i. His father died while "Fritz"' (as he was called, after 
his godfather, the Crown Prince of Prussia ) was quite young, and his education 
devolved upon his mother, nee von Broich, a highly cultured lady, amiable in dis- 
position but firm in character. .\s the feudal estate descended to the eldest son, 
the bov became early impressed with the necessity of relying upon his own exer- 
tions, if ambitious of future position. Opportunity for the best of schooling was, 
however, not wanting. From 1847 '^o ■'^SS he attended the Gustavus Adolphus 
College in Mocrs. and from 1S53 to 1856 he continued his studies at the Gewerbe 
Schule in Cologne. At a public anniversary, in 1852, he was presented to the 
king and given an opportunity to enter the navy, which was then in process of 
formation; but defective eyesight and a strong desire to embrace the "free air of 
the far west,'' prompted him to pursue his collegiate and scientific studies until he 
came to Milwaukee, in 1856. 

Having resolved to enter the legal profession, he applied himself diligently 
to the study of law, and was admitted to the bar in 1859. High-minded, of 
quick but noble impulses, logical and forcible in argument, he soon achieved a 
large and lucrative practice. As early as 1870 he acted as general counsel for the 
Lake Shore Railroad, and it was largely due to his exertions that Milwaukee 
secured this important railway connection. His name is identified with a large 
number of important cases. His comprehensive knowledge of patent law and his 
retention in numerous causes in that branch of litigation made him a familiar fig- 
ure in the courts of other States. 

I'ully thirty years he thus continuously spent at the bar. Constituted as he 




1^ yK^A^L 



RlirRESKXTA l'l\ 1 Ml \ i iF THE L'MTL';i) STATES; WTSCOXSIX VOLLMK. 52 T 



was, he did not lack opportunities for political preferment. In 1873-4 he repre- 
sented Milwaukee with great distinction in the State Senate. While chairman 
of the jt)int select committee on Railway Tariff and Taxation, in an elaborate 
report to the Legislature, he first called attention to the fact that, in view of the 
constitutional reservation of power over corporations (Article XI, Section i of the 
State Constitution), it was within the power of the Legislature at any time to 
interfere, whenever the rates and tolls exacted by railroad companies became 
discriminative or oppressive {a doctrine subsequently held good by the United 
States Supreme Court). But while entertaining such views, Senator Cotzhausen's 
vote was cast against the "['otter Law." He voted in the negative, because of 
the opinion that the Potter bill was purely a retaliatory mea.sure, — a sudden im- 
mature outgrowth of the "(irangers' movement," and not corrective of the evils 
complained of (see Report). He opposed, as chairman of the committee, all 
summary legislation in the absence of full statistics, but recommended the estab- 
lishment of a State board of railroad commissioners. This recommendation led 
to the creation of a railroad commission of three, the number being subse([uently 
reduced to one. 

In 1874 he was appointed one of the State Regents on Normal Schools, and 
in 1875 Public Administrator for Milwaukee county. Both of these positions he 
resigned toward 1876. 

It has been frequently intimated, by papers throughout the State, that Sen- 
ator Cotzhausen had political aspirations which have not become realized. We 
know, however, from reliable sources that such is not the case. His public life 
and utterances do certainly not ])oint in this direction. On the contrary, the 
Senator himself, when approached, freely admitted that he had frequently been 
offered nominations outside of his professional career, which were invariably 
refused. In 1S74 his Congressional district was overwhelmingly Democratic, and 
the editors in chief of almost all the leading papers of the city (English and Ger- 
man, Protestant,, Catholic and Freethinkers,) joined in a call on him to accept the 
nomination for Congress. He declined with the characteristic remark: "I have 
never learned to make a public position subserve private ends. I cannot afford 
to remain in politics." While the Senator has always taken an active interest in 
matters of public concern, he seems to be far from aiming at popularity. We 
quote from one of his speeches in 1890: 

•I think it ought by this time to be fairly understood that I am not particu- 
larly in the habit of either drifting with the current, or catering for public favor 
at a sacrifice of personal convictions. Even my political preferences and affilia- 
tions are not always sufficiently strong to overcome a certain spirit of independence 
from party, which — as I grow older — becomes almost a jiart of nature." 

When, in 1887. the labor organizations, bewildered by their political success, 
stretched out their hand to the judiciary, Mr. Cotzhausen organized the Fusion 
iir Citizens' movement and took a most active part in this campaign. It is hardly 



522 lUOCKAPIIICAI. DICTIONARV AND I'oRTRAn" GALLERY OF THE 



necessary to sa\- that such interest did not emanate from personal antaji^onism. 
On the contrary he recognized among the labor element many a friend. He 
insisted that he never ceased to be a workman himself; that whatever of suc- 
cess he met with, was owing to the fact that he spent almost a lifetime in twice eight 
hours' work per day, and had become firmly convinced — as the result of prolonged 
experience and close observation — that early habits of industry and frugality are 
the only effectual means to secure, with advancing years, a fair competence, and 
to overstep the line between capital and labor, which in this country is more imag- 
inary than real. In fact, he knew of no one in the Northwest, now prominent in 
business circles, who had not commenced his career as a laboring man at the bot- 
tom round. 

Senator Cotzhausen was one of the organizers of the Milwaukee Municipal 
League, and served as chairman of the executive committee from its inception. 
Genuine reformatory measures have always met with his warm support, even to 
the disregard of party affiliations. His views of party politics are well illustrated 
by the following extract from a review of the charter election, submitted by him 
to the Citizens' Committee on April 30, 1887: 

"The sooner the business elements learn to organize and to conduct the bus- 
iness of the country on business principles, electing to office men of sagacity, 
experience, conservative spirit and individuality, the better it will be for both the 
present and future generations. A great deal of vitality is wasted, especially of 
late, in drawing imaginary lines of political distinction between Republicans and 
Democrats, where there are really none; and our elections thus become more and 
more lacking in enthusiasm of the intelligent voter and prove destitute of princi- 
ples around which reflecting individuals can cluster and crystallize. The old 
leading issues and differences are virtually settled; others, at one time, perhaps, 
appropriate, we are obliged to modify, if not abandon. Even the old doctrine 
of State sovereignty, 'Let everyone regulate his own domestic affairs,' — which 
captured the mind of the writer at an early day and brought him into the Demo- 
cratic ranks, — is to-day to be received with material qualification .The times have 
changed; our social and political relations have become modified, and while the 
older Democratic teachings with me have become more or less second nature, still 
I am not oblivious to the fact that religious and political faith are not in principle 
alike. The former may be characterized as a matter of sentimental belief, while 
allegiance to political party presents purely a question of public expediency, so 
that it must necessarily fluctuate and change with the altered condition and exi- 
gencies of growing society. Am I to be blamed, then, if I cannot subscribe to-day 
to the doctrine of State sovereignty as broadly as I did a quarter of a century ago? 
Are myself and friends to be considered political renegades because we insist that 
the powers of Congress be enlarged so as to give us an titiifoinn law of commercial 
paper; an uniform lata of m.arri'Xge and divorce; an uniform criminal code, atid an 
iniiforni laiv of suffrage? A division into political parties seems to be necessary 
t ) a healthy growth and a clever administration of national affairs. But why not 
give us live, progressive issues, if it be intended to revive the interest of former 
davs? As we are situated at present. Republicans and Democrats, there seems 
to be little reason-, and still less necessity, to differ, divide and quarrel, unless the 



RKPRESENTATIVK MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 523 

Fedenil and State patronage be the main point in issue. The present poHtical 
union mi<,fht as well become a complete and permanent blc'ndin.t,^ to^ethcT of the 
conservative elements into one party, in ojiposinOn to the rcvolulionary tenden- 
cies which surround the nation on all sides. ' 

The agitation against the "Bennett Law" is still fresh in our mind. Senator 
Cotzhausen opened the campaign at the Lutheran'convention, June 4, i8qo. His 
argument centered in the following propositions: 

"The supremacy ot the law of f.imily should never be forgotten. The people 
must be made to distinguish, as the courts have distinguished already, between 
the proper scope of legislative authority and mi.schievous meddling, by statute, 
with matters of purely private concern, and csiiccialh with the natural and sacred 
relations of parent and child. * * * 

"When apparent is unable or unwilling to pertorni his natural dut\- and to 
provide for his child, it is not only the right of the State, but it is bound, /;/ loco 
parentis, to assume the care thereof and charge itself with its nurture. * * * 

"But under our democratic form of government the State, as parens patrice, 
has no right to interfere in the details of education, as long as the parents them- 
selves do not neglect, or otherwise prove incompetent, to discharge that duty, 
which in all civilized countries is deemed most sacred, and which Providence 
itself has planted into the human breast." 

Senator Cotzhausen applied himself vigorously to defeat the Bennett Law. 
In recounting the events of the convention, the English papers of Milwaukee make 
the following references to him: 

"The principal address at the anti-Bennett Law convention was delivered 
by the Hon. F. W. Cotzhau.sen, a man well known through the State of Wiscon- 
sin for his intellectuality and ability to di.ssect a public question of importance, so 
that its true inwardness can be seen by all. His exposition of the question under 
discussion by the convention is most masterly, and shows that it is not the Ben- 
nett Law alone which a large portion of the people of Wisconsin are fighting, but 
the dangerous doctrine that the State can in all things decide what is best for the 
individual. Mr. Cotzhausen has brought a thorough education to bear upon the 
subject and a careful analysis of the inatter has been made. His address is full 
of citations to sustain the position he assumes, and it is .so fortified with facts that 
assault upon it will only strengthen it." — [Milwaukee Journal, June 4, 1890. 

The following is from the Evening Wisconsin, a pajier most bitterly opposed, 
at the time, tcj the doctrines he advocated: 

"The committee on credentials then were .sent out and the stage cleared for 
action. 'The Baron: was he in the hall?' the chairman ingenuously incjuired. 
"Sure,' came the well-known voice froixi the wings, and Herr von Cotzhausen 
stepped forward amid great applause. By this time the great hall was completelv 
filled. Every chair was occupied by a 'delegate;' and there were some six hun- 
dred odd chairs. Baron Cotzhausen began much as he began his famous speech 
nearly a year ago, as the champion of the West Side— suavely, gently, calmly, 
deliberately. But inside of fivj minutes he had his audience completely under 
sway, and repeatedly it rose to his eloquent appeals to their prejudices and predi- 
lections with tumultuous applause; just as the 'West Siders' did when he went for 
the 'blue-bellies of Yankee Hill.' Even Senator Kroeger, whom the Baron laid 



:^24 HlOCRAPIIICAL niCTIONARV AND I'DRTKAIT i_;ALLERV (iF THE 

out so pitilessly two years ago, smiled and scowled by turns, and clapped his 
hands with utmost fervor. The wildest applause broke loose when the speaker 
asserted with his fiercest eloquence: 'There is no room for compromise in this 
matter.'" — [Evening Wisconsin, June 4, 1890. 

In the spring of 1886, Senator Cotzhausen, not deeming the nomination of 
the Democratic party to be expedient, opposed the election of the party's candi- 
date. His protest caused considerable feeling, and the Democratic newspapers 
were naturally chagrined because of the position he took. In a sarcastic account 
of the Senator's career, among other things, the following extracts appeared, and 
are here given to show that even his enemies give him credit for ability of no com- 
mon order. After sarcastically recountmg his "bolting" the nomination, and 
describing his ]X'rsonalities, the writer continues: "As an orator, he has a repu- 
tation, not confined to the limits of Wisconsin, and when warmed up on a subject 
can entertain any tribunal or meeting, but when first appearing among strangers 
he chills instead of attracting his audiences, and has to make his way by sheer 
force of ability. * * * In public and political life he is very 

set in his ideas and will brook no opposition, as was shown in his recent bolting 
of the nomination." 

In former years the Senator spent a great deal of time in connection with 
some of the leading German societies, and his talent as an organizer always called 
him to the front. He was one of the founders of the German Aid Society, organ- 
ized to assist needy emigrants; but while his philanthropic tendencies have 
caused him to be very active in this direction, he has always strenuously insisted 
that this country ought to be characteristically American. Ever since i 886, when 
presenting his memorial and resolutions on this subject to the German Aid Soci- 
ety, he has advocated "that the right of suffrage be confined to citizens of the 
United States and that the laws of sufirage be made uniform throughout the coun- 
try. He holds that true citizenship and an intelligent exercise of the electoral 
franchise, whether in State or national affairs, presuppose a naturalization, not only 
iti law or fiction, hut in point of fact; and that indispensable thereto is a residence 
sufficiently long to become familiar with our institutions and the common lan- 
guage of our country." While advocating such views, altogether regardless of the 
question whether it pleases or not; purely guided by a strong sense of what he 
considers proper; unbending and unyielding in point of [irinciple, but never stick- 
ling for details, we find him on the first German-American Day, October 6, 1890 
(an occasion well remembered in the history of Milwaukee, because attended with 
the greatest pageant and procession Milwaukee ever witnessed), addressing a 
large concourse of people, and making the following patriotic and spirited remarks: 
After reviewing the character of the early settlers of the Northwest, he turned to 
the question, "German-American Day: what does this mean? Is someone really 
trying to perpetuate foreign ideas? No: lar Irom it. I will tell you what it 
means. * * * 



REl'KESEXTATIVE MEN of THE rXlTED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 525 



"We have grown older — perhaps more conservative — possibly wiser. Like 
our native American friends, we have also materiallv changed. The young Ger- 
man enthusiast of i860 has spent considerable of his vitality in fruitless dreams 
and efforts: he has had to abandon many an ideal of collegiate years; under the 
transforming weight of public opinion he has even at times been made to yield 
some of his most cherished convictions. I am not the same man who stood be- 
fore you in i860 and 1870. I have changed: so you — all of you — have changed. 
The very request which you made upon me, to speak in English to you on this, 
our German-American Day, indicates of itself a radical change in German circles. 
There was a time when we zvcrc G<'rmans in language, thought and action; but the 
old pioneers of the J J est and their o/fs/>ring — in less than thirty years — have become 
Iruc Americans indeed. — A»iei ican in law and iti fact, — tvith all the impulses and 
most of the characteristics which ha-^ie made this cou7ttry the attractive object 0/ the 
Tt'orld. There may be some exceptions, but most of us have outlived the national 
prejudices and distinctions of former years. Only professional politicians now 
keep them alive. We are reminded of them from time to time, when our State 
conventions meet and deal out to the so-called German voter that certain cus- 
tomarv bone, 'the State treasurership,' as his share of the public patronage. We 
feel, at times, as if we ouglit to revolt at this political practice; as if we ought to 
demand, instead of emoluments of oflfice, a proper participation in the honorary 
positions at the command of the people. 

•'But then the German-Americans are not born politicians: they will never 
learn to run politics for profit or even for public recognition. We are contented 
to know that the German blood flows in the veins of one-sixth of the white popu- 
lation of this land and of almost three-fifths in the State of Wisconsin. We mean 
to be good, quiet and industrious citizens. Whatever others may say, as a rule 
we are not clannish: quite the contrary. Xo element divides tnore in politics and 
religion. We have done so in the pxst and we mean to do so in the fiUure. In that 
respect we have not changed; but in others we have. 

"We cannot overlook the important fact that the people of these United States 
have ceased to consist of three component parts. There was a time when out 
West we had reason to speak about Native-born (the Yankee, as he was called), 
the German and the Irish. We are aware that the character of late emigration 
has assumed a different aspect. We feel like others the necessity of crystallizing the 
present conglomeration of native and foreign elements into one people. — prompted by 
common national impulses. Our Native-born, the Germans, Irish and French, the 
Scandinavians, Bohemians. Poles, Italians, Hungarians, Russians and others nuist 
amalgamate. Here in .MiKvauket; we have expressed ourselves in this direction 
once before. While proud of our origin, we cannot and do not niean to remain 
Germans. 

'•But this amalgamation must be natural: it must not be forced. It may be 
somewhat slow, still it is certain to come. It h a. procesi> o{ gradual absorption. 
not of oppression; a process of mutual concession and good will, the one toward 
the other. An .American national character is not as yet distinctively fornred: it 
is being formed. We are willing to contribute a liberal share of our individuality 
toward this common end, but not all.- There are a few things as to which our 
minds are extremely sensitive. We do not want to be treated like intruders upon 
American soil. This is not 'a question oj domestic or foreign domination^ as pro- 



526 BIOGRAPHICAL UICTIONARV AND PC^RTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 

claimed by the Methodist conference at Whitewater but a week ago. Although 
our cradle may have stood in other and distant parts of the globe, we have — under 
the beneficial influence of tim2 — 'ncome American citizens, fully imbucdivith Ameri- 
can ideas and eveyi American pride. 

"Hence this demonstration — in which millions join on this, tiur first Clerman- 
American Day." 

After Senator Cotzhausen retired from the routine of active practice, he set- 
tled upon a plan to imj'jrove one of the leading street corners in the Second ward 
of Milwaukee, which ward he has always practically considered his home. This 
building, known as the Metropolitan Block, is one of the most imposing structures 
of the city, — the seat of numerous city offices, and of the municipal and superior 
courts. Over the main entrance of the block Senator Cotzhausen has placed the 
motto of his life, ''Labor omnia vi)icil." This maxim has been his watchword 
throughout. He has labored earnestly and indefatigably, and although his jiath 
was beset with many natural obstacles he has surmounted most difficulties, and 
now, while still in the prime of life, can give a large portion of his time to well 
earned rest and comfort. Although he has retired from general practice, confin- 
ing himself mostly to the argument of special cases, he spends his forenoons 
with the utmost regularity, as he used to, in his office, but insists that the after- 
noons belong to himself; and whenever the weather will permit he retires to his 
farm, "Villa Nordeck," pleasantly located in Greenfield, which is rapidly becom- 
ing one of the most beautiful estates in the Northwest. It consists of one 
hundred and thirty acres, eighty acres of which is beautified into a park. 

Mr. Cotzhausen was married in 1863 to Miss Maria Sophia Jacobi. Seven 
children are living: three sons and four daughters. 



FRANCIS B. CLARKE, 



SOME of the most notal)Ie characters in this great country were born on farms. 
Many of the jirotessional men who have reached high positions in life, mer- 
chants and manufacturers, who have acquired wealth and exhibited a genius for 
business strangely at variance with their early training and birth, have opened their 
eyes first upon the green fields. Francis Byron Clarke, the pioneer traffic man- 
ager of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad, and present presi- 
dent and general manager of the Superior Consolidated Land Company, of Su- 
perior, Wisconsin, was born on his father's farm, in Madison county. New York, 
July I, 1839, and is the son of Ephraim and Angeline (Loyd) Clarke. His father 



RKl'RESEXTATIVI-; MKN (iK TIIK I'N'ITKI) S lATKS ; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 527 

was a merchant, who, in connection with three brothers, conducted stores located 
in New York city and Syracuse. 1 Ic however, also owned a dairy farm, to which 
he devoted the major portion of his time and upon which the family resided. 
Among such surroundings our subject grew to manhood, receiving a valuable physi- 
cal training while assisting his father upon the homestead. 

Mr. Clarke's early educational opportunities were quite limited. I le attended 
the common or district school during winter seasons, and later attended the Alfred 
Academy until he was twenty years of age. By a regular attendance at his school 
and studious application, Mr. Clarke attained a thorough knowledge of the usual 
branches of a good English education, and was at the age of twenty well ecjuipped 
to battle with the world. 

The venturesome spirit ot the time found a ready adherent in Mr. Clarke, and 
in 1859 he determined t(^ try his fortunes in the West. Up, to this time Mr. Clarke 
hac". received no business education. His years were spent in agricultural districts 
and his work was only such as pertained thereto. If his pursuits had not tended 
to give him a first-class education they at least had built up for him a rugged and 
healthv constitution, which enabled him to enjoy excellent health tlirough the 
arduous career he subsequently entered upon. His early life was also free from 
the evil associations and consequent vices which so frequently beset young men. 
His character was therefore built upon the strong and enduring foundation of strict 
honesty and indomitable industrv, and these have been the prominent factors in 
his successful career. 

Coming West, he entered ujion the dutiesof a clerk in a general store, in Pari 
bault, Minnesota. .\ vear lalor he moved to St. Paul, and obtained a position with 
Benedict, Baker & Company. There he also remained one year, and concluded 
that his two years' service in the emjiloyment of others was sufficient. 

Desiring to engage in business for himself Mr. Clarke, in 1862, went to Hudson, 
\\ isconsin, where he founded the mercantile firm of Clarke, JefYer.son c\: Company, 
The enterprise was comparatively successful from the beginning, and for the eight 
ve.'irs during which he remained in the business he attended closely to his af- 
f;iirs, working earlv and late to attain the success he was deterniined to secure. 
The life of a country merchant was, however, not at all to his taste; therefore he, 
in 1870, sold his interest in the business of the mercantile establishment, and ac- 
cepted the position of land agent and paymaster of the West Wisconsin Rail- 
way Company, with headquarters at Hud.son, Wisconsin. His labor and efforts in 
the interest of the company secured him merited recognition, and the following 
vear (1S71) he was promoted as general freight agent, and moved to St. Paul, 
where he also filled the position of general passenger and ticket agent. In 1873 
Mr. Clarke was advanced to the position of general traffic manager of the system 
consisting of the West Wisconsin Railroad Company, North Wisconsin Railroad 
Company, St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad Company, and other lines located in 
Nebraska, and held the same consecutivel)- until iSoo, through the various vicis- 



5^8 ?!I()GRA1'I1ICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



situdes of the company which compelled it to go through the receiver's hands, and 
finally reorganization. After being organized the lines were rr erged with the com- 
pany now known as the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Com- 
pany, a part of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway system, the parent corpora- 
tion. Twenty consecutive years of Mr. Clarke's life were devoted to the interest of 
this valuable property, and while acting as an official he studiously and conscien- 
tiously avoided the rock of stock speculation. His fame as a man possessed of ex- 
ceedingly great executive and managerial ability rests entirely upon the founda- 
tion of work excellently done, and untiring energy. 

During his many years' service to the great corporation he has given it ability 
and experience acquired through many years of labor and intelligent observation. 
The close confinement to his arduous duties at last told upon his physical con- 
stitution. During the year of 1889 Mr. Clarke became conscious of a deterioration 
in health and strength, and his physician advised an immediate cessation from all 
labor and an extended trip to the continent of Europe. Accordingly he at once 
resigned his position and started for Carlsbad, in the German province of Bo- 
hemia, where he remained some months. His entire stay of one year in Europe 
was spent in instructive travel, and during that time he visited the major portion 
of the continent of Europe, including an extended trip to the Mediterranean coun- 
tries. He also visited France and the British Isles. During the year of Mr. 
Clarke's stay abroad the Superior Consolidated Land Company had been formed. 
The company is a consolidation of large individual properties, and was formed for 
the purpose of advancing that part of Superior known as "old town." Until that time 
the enterprise of West Superior had overshadowed the importance of the original 
town site. The company bought the individual holding of its stockholders, pay- 
ing for the property in stock, at the appraised value of the committee selected for 
the purpose. It was organized with a capital of $3,600,000, of which but $2,500,- 
000 of stock was issued to stockholders, During its first year's existence the com- 
pany made but little advance. Upon the return of i\Ir. Clarke to America, 
in June, 1891, he was offered the position of vice-president and general man- 
ager of the company, and elected June, 1891. He immediately set to work 
to evolve plans for improvement. Until that time the promoters of the West 
Superior properties had had no foe worthy of their steel; but almost instantly the 
positions were changed. 

The following year, June, 1892, Mr. Clarke was elected president and gen- 
eral manager of the company, and in 1893 ^^''^^ reelected to this position, which 
he still holds. The two and a half years, from July, 1891, to December, 1893, 
cover an eventful and important period in Mr. Clarke's life, and the work he has 
accomplished during that time has been of great and lasting benefit to the people 
and business interests of the entire northern Wisconsin. An enthusiast in his call- 
ing;, and in the prime of vigorous manhood, Mr. Clarke has given to his work such 
intelligent and energetic direction as not only enables him to accomplish great re- 



RKI'KKSKXTATIVK MKN OK VWV. IMTl-:!) STATES; WISCONSIN VOI.UMK. 529 



suits, but has gained for him fame as a successful manager of large enterprises 
and the admiration of all classes. During his connection with the Su])erior Con- 
solidated Land Comjiany Mr. Clarke has succeeded in establishing manufacturing, 
plants. Houring mills, elevators, docks, etc., whose cash and improvements amount 
to more than 52,000,000. The daily output of the Houring mills located by Mr. 
Clarke, will when completed amf)u:it to more than 14,000 barrels daily, while at the 
present time (Xoxember, iSo^^ more than 7,000 barrels of flour is produced daily. 

The elevators have a capacity of 6,000,000 bushels, while the Northwestern 
Coal Railway Company, the largest of its kind in the Northwest, is preparing to 
erect solid-filled coal d,.cks, at old Superior, covering eighty acres of ground, cost- 
ing about S2, 000,000, with a storage cajKicity of 1,500,000 tons, equipped with all 
modern improvements and intended to be the finest coal docks in the Norihwest. 
In view of the results which have followed, perhaps, Mr. Clarke's position of presi- 
dent and general manager of the Superior Consolidated Land Comjiany is the 
most important he has ever held. Few have any conception of what a gigantic 
enterprise it is to build a large city in such a short time. If the greatest benefactor 
of the race is the man who makes two blades of grass grow where one previously 
grew, what shall be said of him who makes the desert blossom in magnificent 
enterprises, beautiful homes, and well jiaved and well lighted streets and magnifi- 
cent buildings. Mr. Clarke has proceeded step by step toward its accomplishment 
and his success is an evidence of his sagacity as a man of business. 

Ill ]iolilical life ?ilr. Clarke affiliates with the Republican party. I-Ie is in no 
wise a politician and has no desire for political preferment. He, however, takes 
great interest in political matters, and considers it the duty of every American 
citizen to advance the interests of his country and see that honest men are elected 
to fill public office and conduct public affairs to the best interest of the community. 
There is no man in Superior who enjoys the confidence and respect of the jkojiIc, 
irrespective of party, to a greater degree than Mr. Clarke. 

He has been singularly fortunate in all his ventures, and free from errors in 
oflicial positions; but there is a hearty good fellowship about him which makes 
triends by the score. He is liberal to all in distress, but never gives with ostenta- 
tious display. He is happy in his expressions, whether of condolence or congratu- 
lation, and shows in all his actions strong and sound common sense. At fifty- 
four years of age Mr. Clarke is physically and mentall}- perfect, and as alert and 
vigorous as a man of twenty-five. 

He was married June 17, i(S77, to Miss Lena Burton Thompson, daughter of 
James E. Thompson, of St. Paul, Minnesota, the organizer and first and only 
president, until the time of his death, of the First National Bankof that city, one of 
the soundest institutions in the United States. Mrs. Clarke, whose birth, breeding 
and education have fitted her to occupy any position in life, is a lady of superior 
intelligence. She takes an active interest in all her husband's undertakings, but 



530 



lllnCRAl'lllCAI, niCTKiNAKV AND roKTRAIT CAI.I.KRV OF THE 



in no public enterjirise has she been of greater prominence than in the World's 
Columbian Exposition. She gracefully occujned the position of President of Min- 
nesota Woman's Auxiliary Board, and was appointed by the Governor of the State 
of Minnesota the first lady manager to the World's Fair, and while there was the 
chairman of the Musical Committee in the Woman's Building. Her greatest and 
most valuable services were rendered on the Foreign Reception Committee, as she 
is a linguist of exceptional capacity. She is a perfect French and German scholar, 
and also capable of fluent conversation in Italian and Spanish. Mr. and Mrs. 
Clarke are the parents of three children: Egbert Thompson Clarke and Francis 
Loyd, and Lena Burton Clarke. 



O. A. RITAN, 



CUMBERLAND. 



THAT the United States has always presented great opportunities to men of 
industry, ability, honesty and integrity has often been stated and commented 
upon, and as long as men have aspirations and the determination to improve their 
conditions of life and earn the success which it is possible to obtain, the theme will 
never be exhausted. The great Northwest, and particularly Wisconsin and Min- 
nesota, has produced more men of achievement than any other part of the Ihiited 
States. The boundless resources of this part of our lountry are continually on ex- 
hibition before the entire world, and much has constantly been said and written 
about the men who have aided so materially in the development of this, the at one 
time far West. When the question, "Who made Chicago?" sh.ill be truth- 
fully answered, it will be found that her greatness is as much the result of the ef- 
forts of the inhabitants of Wisconsin and Minnesota as of the citizens of the city 
itself. Without the "Northwest" no Chicago would exist to-day. As the "North- 
west" assumes so great an importance it is a legitimate query, "Who made the 
Northwest?" 

When the emigrants had tilled the East and were looking for new worlds to 
conquer, the people of warmer climes greatly neglected the Northwest. It was 
left for the Scandinavian race to settle and occupy and improve this less hospitable 
part of the great republic. This hardy race found a home and a foothold on the 
prairies and in the forests of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and the United States 
owes much to their indomitable industry, uncompromising honesty and heroic 
elTorts. That this jirojilf have accumulated untold riches, and now virtual!}- own 
lh;it jiart of the countrv, is their just reward and the result of their bravery. The 
iiih;ibilanls of northern Wisconsin are a credit to any country, and one of the most 
valuable t) pes of this people is he whose name heads this sketch. 




^naluJIUticekSani.thiia 



(^a/^./. 



c^-t-^ 



Representative men of the united states; Wisconsin volume. 533 

Ole A. Ritan (horn Kcitan) is a native ot Noi"\va\'. Born on February 16, 
1849, on a tarm at Aalen, near Koraas, lie is the son ot An(h"e\v anfl Isahel Reitan, 
nee Aahiios. His jiarents owned their home amons^r the erags and peaks of Nor- 
way, and here were instilled into the son the principles which characterize the en- 
tire descendants of the countrymen of Liefr Ericson, the discoverer of America. 

The Ritan famih- is one of the oldest in that settled part of Xorwa\'. Cen- 
turies before the present generation the land was di\ided among such men as were 
influential sympathizers with tlie government. One of these was Andrew Reitan. 
Before the time of the great-grandtather of our subject the farm, instead of being 
entailed, was divided lietween surviving sons. This great-grandfather's name was 
.Andrew Reitan. He was a farmer in fact as well as in name. .\t his death the 
farm was divided for the third time: but the eldest son, .Andrew Reifan, the grand- 
father of our subject, received the major portion. This man was of considerable 
influence in the communit\' and ot .some brilliancv of mind. He felt it his dut\' to 
keep up the appearances of the family, and, as his resources were not commen- 
surate with his ambition, he soon was compelled to sell a large portion of this home 
stead. Though he was a man of intemperate habits, he later became the teacher 
of the province, which was a jiosition of great prominence, and in addition, because 
of his fine voice, he was also leader of the church choir. He did not improve 
upon his dissolute habits, however, and he never recovered his jiroperty. .At his 
death the seventh division of the farm took place, and Andrew Reitan, the eldest 
son and father of the subject of this sketch, took possession. By this time very 
little land remained for the family, and, although they were enabled to glean there- 
from what in that country was considered a comfortable maintenance, the com- 
bined lai)ors of the entire family was necessary to supply actual necessities. 1 he 
early childhood of Mr. Ritan was spent at home, where he assisted his father in 
his labor when old iiiough to do so, and attended the common or district schools 
of the country. At the early age of thirteen he left home to seek his fortune, and 
was employed in the copper mines, where he, in company with many other lads 
of about his age, was engaged in washing small particles of copper ore. Later he 
herded cattle during the summc-r month.s in the mountains. "Satters," is the name 
by which the romantic and piitunscjue valleys of Norway are called. The tarmi-rs 
of Norway have, by constant use tor ages, created a proprietary title to the ' 'satters," 
inherited with their farms, and the right to their use has been transferred from gen- 
eration to generation with tlie farms. 

The 3-oung boy followed the life usual to the Norwegian farmer, which is de- 
scribed as follows: The summers are passed in the ".satters" with the cattle, sheep 
and goats belonging to the farm, and they reside during the spring and summer in a 
log hut. In this log cabin is a firt'-place built in the middle of the floor, and a 
hole about 5 .\ 5 feet left open in the roof for the escape of the smoke trom the fire. 
One of the family, usually a young man, goes with the ladies of the family to herd 
the animals and to bring them home at night. The familv remain in the moun- 



534 nioGKAriiiCAi. dictionary and pokikait (;ai,i.ki<v (H- iiik 



tains (luring the summer months, making large quantities of cheese and butter, 
which ihry are able to ])reserve for years if they so desire. During the time of 
their sojourn in tht- mountains they rarely see anybody, save their neighbors, who 
are there for the .same purpose. Thus Mr. Ritan lived until he was eighteen yc^ars 
old. At that time he felt a strong desire to see the world. Previous to this a 
number of people from his neighborhood had emigrated to America, and their 
glowing accounts of the country fired their friends and neighbors with the desire 
to seek a like fortune. 

In 1867, in comjnin}' with his brother-in-law, Lars Morken, Mr. Ritan came 
to America, and settled in Allamakee county, Iowa, where a colon)- ot his country- 
men had located. There he first engaged in farming, at $18 per month, working 
during summer months only. The winters were spent in the jiineries of Wiscon- 
sin, where he became acquainted with the craft of a woodsman. I^>r six years he 
made his home in Iowa, without perceptibly improving his financial condition, and 
when he married he felt the necessity of locating a home for himself, and in 1S73 
he sought the Government lands of northern Wisconsin. The hardships and pri- 
vations of pioneer life has often been dwelled upon; l)ut no description can ade- 
quateh portray the loneliness of the family that goes into a wilderness to found a 
home, and no remuneration that the Wisconsin pioneer received was at all commen- 
surate with the desolation and hard labor which were experienced. 

Mr. Ritan first went to what is n(.)w Clear Lake, where he temjiorarily located 
his wife. Meanwhile he went to the St. Croix land office for jilats showing the 
land open to homeseekers. Mr. Ritan located his claim, and, in company with an 
acquaintance, took a trip to the spot where Cumberland is now situated, and in- 
spected his selection. The appearance of the country for farming was so forbidding 
that Mr. Ritan decided not to settle there. On his way back he met an engineer- 
ing corps of the then North Wisconsin Railway Company, who told him where the 
line of railroad would run, and informed him that it would be built the following 
year. Finding that his land was within easy reach of the railroad, and covered 
with heavy timber, he finally decided to make the venture, and in the fall of 1S73 
he located in Barron county, Wisconsin. ' That winter he antl his wile lixcd in the 
hope of seeing the railroad built through the countrw and between building their 
log houses, hand-sawing lumber for the iloors and roots, splitting the wood into 
shingles, clearing their laiuls, scaring off Indians and wild animals, the winter jiassed. 
Life in God's jirimeval forest, where while man's loot had scarcely stepped, is any- 
thing but enjoyable. Hard work was the only antidote for discouragement and 
occasional despair. The following suir.nuT Mr. Kitan began tanning his eighty 
acres of land; but the railroad was not built lor lour wars afterward. i le continued 
farming until 1S7S, when, realizing the bright prospects ft)r a general store, he 
opened one on the island, where Cumberland is now located. The enterprise in 
which Mr. Ritan had thus embarked was successful from its inception. At first he 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 535 

had a partner, but he soon bought liim out and conducted the l)usiness alone. In 
1S89 Mr. Ritan began his lumber business, under the firm name of O. A. Ritan & 
Comjiany. This venture has also been succcsslul. In 1888 he invested in real estate 
in Duluth and Superior, and his judgment in these affairs has also proven correct. 
Thus the poor Norwegian boy wlio came to this countr\' without money or friends, 
unable to talk the language of the land, has worked himseli u]i to a position of 
prominence and influence. 

In 1890 Mr. Ritan founded the Cumberland Milling Company, and became the 
president ot the corporation. This business is constantly growing, and to-day is in 
a jirosperous condition. Mr. Kitan is also interested in and vice-president of the 
Wisconsin Land Association, which owns tracts ot timber lands in Washington and 
Oregon. 

In political sentiment Mr. Ritan is thorougliK' independent. I le is entirely too 
broad to be fettered by caucus or machines, and will not be dictated to by pro- 
fessional politicians. For fourteen years or more Mr. Ritan has \-oted tlu> Prohi- 
liition ticket, and is a strong believer in woman's suffrage, as he thinks that woman 
is the honest half of the human family, and that it is necessary to give her the 
election franchise to prevent serious corruption in political affairs. He is in no 
.sense a politician nor a seeker of political preferment. Mr. Ritan is the oldest 
settler in Cumberland, and has served in \arious capacitic^s in public affairs. He 
nas a member of the first board of town Supervisors, and held the position for a 
a number of years. When Cumberland was organized a village he was a member 
of the Board of .Mdermen, and previously held the po.sition of President of the 
Village Council. At present he is serving his second term as a member of the 
Board of County Supervisors. 

When Mr. Ritan came to America in 1867, a young lady, eleven years old, came 
over with another family, which located in the same neighborhood in Iowa as he 
did; but for six years or:.more Mr. Ritan lost .sight of them. One day in 1872 he 
met a young lady riding horseback near Hesper, Iowa, whom he thought he knew. 
This young lady proved to be the young girl who came to America in the same 
ship. The acquaintance thus renewed ripened into closer relations, and on Sep- 
tember 19, 1873, Mr. Ritan was marric;d to Miss Carrie Stone, a native of Norway, 
and a daughter of Elling Stone, of that country. The union thus made has been 
one of great happiness to Mr. K'itan. I lis wife has been a true helpmate to him, 
and has ever been ready to share the hardshijis and privations of the eventful life. 
They are the parents of four children; their names are And)'. Milla, Elling and 
O.scar. 

While Mr. Ritan is a member of no church, he is, nevertheless, strongly in- 
terested in the welfare of religious organizations, and believes in their power for 
good in the community. The family attends the Norwegian Lutheran church. 
Socially Mr. Ritan is highly esteemed. He is a member of the Masonic and 
Knights of Pythias societies. 



536 BIOGRAI'IilCAL 1 >lCriONAKV ANM) PORTRAIT CAI.LERY OF THE 

Such is the life of one of the most successful and influential of the American- 
Norwe^nan citizens. His life fitly illustrates the advance which his people has 
made in the United States. While he has been successful in his endeavors, his is 
a success which has been obtained b\ hard work, promptness in fulfilling,' oblif^ations, 
thorough honesty in all thinf^s and vigilance over his good name. His word iscon- 
sidered as good as his bond, and he endeavors to rear his iamily in such a way 
that they in the future may receive the same respect as is accorded him. 



IIOEL IIINMAN CAMP, 



.MII.WAL'KEK 



HOHL 11. CAMP is a native of \'ermonl, and was born at Derby, Orleans 
county, January 27, 1S22. His father, David Manning Camp, was born 
in Tunbridge, Vermont. He was a graduate of the University of Vermont and 
was an attorney of prominence in the State. He was active in public affairs and 
served as Lieutenant Governor of the State for many years, and in that capacity 
organized the first State Senate in Vermont about 1838. His portrait is awarded 
a place of honor in the Senate chamber of the capitol of Vermont. He was also 
deeply interested in educational matters, and labored earnestly and efficiently in 
behalf of the general school system. He died in Derby, Vermont, in 1871, aged 
eighty-three years. The mother of our subject was Sarepta Camp me Savage. 
She also was a native of Vermont. Both families actively participated in the 
early settlement of New England, the paternal branch being traceable to Essex 
county, England, whence the American progenitor emigrated to Massachusetts 
early in the seventeenth century. 

The boyhood days of our subject were passed in Derby, Vermont, where he 
obtained his school education in the "little red schoolhouse." But the educa- 
tion there acquired was insensibly enlarged by the intellectual surroundings of the 
paternal home. Later he moved to Moncpclier, and there he embarked upon bus- 
iness life, at the age of fifteen, as junior clerk of an old and respected mercantile 
firm in general business as merchants. He faithfully performed his duties and thus 
early in life disjilayed the traits of character most essential for permanent success. 
After four years' apprenticeship and a dissolution of the firm of employers our sub- 
ject, who had then attained the age of nineteen, spent some years in various clerk- 
ships, part of the time in the city of Boston. He then determined to enter the 
mercantile business on his own account; and largely with the monev he had saved 
out of his salary he organized a mercantile establishment, first in Montpelier and 
later in Northfield, with Hon. Charles Paine, ex-Governor of \'ermont, but being 
impressed wiili the fact that the West offered greater opportunities for a man 



Ria'RKSKNTATIVK MKN (U- THE LMTKU STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 537 

of ambition, he disposed of his interests and started West, reaching Mil- 
waukee in the winter of 1852 ,v Mi' entered the wholesale grocery business, 
but within a year sold out and became interested in the Farmers & Millers' Bank, 
a State bank organized under the State banking law. lie became cashier of this 
institution at the time he became hnancially interested therein, and continued to 
act in that oflicial capacity until the enactment of the national banking law, when 
he jiarticipated in the organization of the First National Bank of Milwaukee, 
which was the first bank organized under the national banking law in Wisconsin 
and the sixty- fourth in the LTnited States. Mr. Camj) acted as cashier of the 
First National Bank of Milwaukei' from the time of its organization until the expi- 
ration of its charter, in 18S2. The bank was then reorganized as the First Na- 
tional Bank of Milwaukee, and Mr. Camp elected president. He conducted the 
affairs of this prosperous institution as its presiding officer until December, 1893. 
when, desiring to relieve himself of as much of the cares and worries of active 
business as he could, with justice to himself and the stockholders and depositors 
of the institution, he disposed of his interests and retired from the jiresidency. 
In Januarv, 1894, the Merchants' Exchange Bank was consolidated with the First 
National Bank, and the capital of that institution wasincreascd to si, 000, 000. Mr. 
Camp continued as one of its stockholders, and as a director. When Mr. Camp 
retired from the presidency of the First National Bank its capital of $200,000 had 
been augmented by a surplus of $275,000, besides always paying large and satis- 
factory dividends. 

As a hnancier Mr. Camji is the acknowledged peer of any in the West, .^s 
the controlling spirit of the h'irst National Bank he exhibited more than ordi- 
nary powers, and the success of that institution is attributed to his managerial 
ability, and his financial policy, which, while conservative, was always liberal. 
During all the troublous times and through all the financial whirlwinds, the First 
National Bank of Milwaukee was unscathed, for its foundations were laid upon 
the rocks of integrity and the jirinciples of sound banking. 

Mr. Camp's time and attention for the pa.st forty years have been devoted 
almost exclusively to the banking bu.siness, and, havingpassed through the periods 
of "wild-cat" and "red-dog" currency, his reminiscences of events of those times 
are full of interest, and in several papers delivered before various societies he has 
illustrated the perils of un.sound money issues. One of his best written articles 
upon that subject, an address entitled the "History of Western Banking," was de- 
livered by him at the annual convention of the American Bankers' Association, 
held at Saratoga, New York, in August, 1879. This address proves to an intelli- 
c^ent mind that the so-called beauties of State bank notes are delusions, and that 
the national banking system is the safest, and therefore the best system ever 
evolved for issuing currency. 

Mr. Camp and the bank with which hv was connected were among those who 
( ame through the long and perilous ordeal caused by Slate bank issues, unscathed. 



538 r.llH-.KAl'lllCAl. DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT CALl.KRV OF THE 

He had brought with liim from New England a great hking for the famous Suffolk 
system of redemption of bank notes in coin, in some practical way, and in all the 
earlier years of his bankiiii; life did his best to ingraft that feature upon the Wiscon- 
sin system. H\' the co-optTalion ol others he succeeded in perfecting legislation 
which, but for the suiicrNcnlion ot the national bankiuL; law, would soon have gone 
into operation in Wisconsin. iho provisions for redemiitit)n thus to be adopted 
were in part incorporated in the national banking law, approved by Messrs. Chase and 
McCulloch, and without sinnlar features so adopted the national law would never 
have met with its great success. Ilighlv as he regards the Ijanking law provided 
by Congress, he thinks it susceptibl(> of ini])ro\-ement, and in an address entitled 
"Coin Deposits as Securitv for National Hank Notes," read betore the Bankers' con- 
\-ention in iSSo, he set forth some oi the rc'asons toi' the taith that is in him. 

A perusal of the various addresses delivered by Mr. Camp will convince all 
readers that his mind is stored with sound ideas regarding the financial conditions 
our government has ]>assed through, or is likeK' to encounter, and will prove that 
he is entitled to rank among the aeknowledginl linancial leaders of the country. 
The following extract from a pa]ier read betore the nu'ml)i'rs of the Bankers' Club 
at its annual meeting, October 26, 1887, is given here, as it illustrates the fact that 
he foresaw the effect of the silver agitation years before it occurred: 

"The one other threatening clement in the comliticm of Government finances is the si/ver 
question. Two years and more ago nervous people saw in Uie compulsory law to coin four- 
hundred-and-twelve-grain silver dollars a cloud much larger than a man's hand, and now the 
value of these coins is about seventy cents each, and still the coining goes on. The theory 
and practice of all financiers who cdinmcnd the use of siKei' in this wa_\' is at \ariance witii the 
opinions of the best financiers in e\cry civilized country o\\ the gli)i)c. It is said, ami no doubt 
is paitially line, that no matter w iiat mistakes are made in our legislation, the recuperative 
power of tlie country will surmount all difficulties arising therefrom, and so we may hope that 
ultimately om- tiovcrnment will, when iuTcssit\- arises, redeem the silver doll.irs with gold or 
other money of a gold standard, Mut between now ami tlu-u wi- arc- \er\- likely to come to 
grief almost certainly so unless we secure an international agreement with other nations for 
their nnitual use and coinage of silver. -Should the balance of trade with other nations turn 
against us, so as to reipiire a large exportation of money, nothing bin gold will pa\- our debts, 
and no man can tell how much must go Ijefore gold will be at a [)remium. When that occurs, 
silver is the mone\- of our land; we little a])preciate iiow nuieh we are using silver now in its 
]iapei- ])ro.x\-. 1 ho|)e all danger fronU his source will be a\ertcd, but it is the cause of nnieh 
solicitude to me, .md m;uiy wiser men lia\e the same opimoii." 

Mr. Camp has alwavs assisted worth\- charitable instituliims, and has taken 
an active part in alleviating the sutterings ol the deserving poor. I lo is interested 
as a trustee and as contributor to manv of the ordinary charitable institutions of 
the eitv, and in fact is interested in all eharitabk> work. In 1886 Mr. Camp de- 
vised a novel ]ilan to permanently aid the deserving poor. He oigam/ed the 
Charit\' l\eliel Association, donating #40,(^00 lor ;i permanent fund to allord a 
ehamii^l through which to lighten the burdens ol others who are less fortunate in 
the possession ol this world's goods. In addition to affording relief io manv a 



REPRESENTATIVli MEN OE THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 539 

deserving tnmiK, Mr. Camp has the pleasure of witnessing' the fund increase to 
S0o,ooo, and every year adds to its available dividend. The following summary 
of the articlesof organization oi the association will fully explain its objects; 

First. The purpose for which such corporation is organized is for receiving, caring for, 
distributing and disbursing by gift, sale or loan, money and personal property for benevolent, 
charitable, religious and educational purposes. 

Second. The name shall be the Charit)- Relief Association, and it shall he located in the 
city of Milwaukee. 

Tliird. The corporation shall not be represented h\^ capital stock. 

Fourth. The affairs of the corporation shall be managed b}- five trustees, residents of 
W isconsin. If other individuals or corporations make donations or bequests to this corpora- 
tion exceeding those made b\' the original incorporators, the number of trustees may be 
increased and elected by .such donors. This section contains provisions for the election and 
perpetuity of trustees, and, in case of failure to elect as provided, vacancies siiall be filled by 
the county judge of Milwaukee. 

Fiftli. The trustees shall elect a [^resident, treasurer and secretary, whose duties are to 
be as usual in corporations, and who are to serve without compensation. 

Sixth. The corporation shall take by gift, bequest or devise and hold real estate and all 
kinds of personal property. It may iiold a portion of its property in real estate, erect and 
repair buildings and lease the same, subject to conditions and restrictions made by donor. It 
ma\- purchase, with a part of its income, merchandise or labor-saving machines to give away, 
sell or rent to indigent persons; may loan from its income, money, retaining security therefor 
under other restrictions herein. The objects and purposes of the corporation are to do the 
greatest good to the greatest number of persons, and generally to such as have no claims upon 
any other organization. To this end, none of its funds, unless specifically directed by the 
donor for such purpose, shall be given to any church, school, lodge or other corporation or 
organization, but shall in part be as hereinafter set forth and the balance held until the capital 
sum of its property shall be SiOO,000. One-third of the net income after exj)enses are paid, 
may be annually apropriated as gifts or loans to worthy poor in small sums, or if b\- loan at 
si.\ per cent interest, under rules adopted by the trustees, and the balance of income not so 
expended shall be added to the funds of the corporation until they shall amount to SiOCOOO, 
and thereafter one-half (instead of one-third as before provided) shall be devoted to the same 
objects of charit)' and benevolence, as above provided, until the pro]5erty of the corporation 
shall amount to S200,000. After that time the whole of the net income shall be devoted to 
loans, gifts and charit)', under the restrictions herein set forth cu' under restrictions which 
may be especially made by donors. Proviso: That when the [property of the association shall 
!ia\e increased to Sioo,000 one-third of the income allowed to be distributed may be released 
from the iniiibitions enumerated herein, and the trustees ma)' select other channels for the 
appropriation of the same. The trustees shall annually in September make general report of 
income, expenses ami distribution of funds to the county judge who, in his discretion, may 
appoint commissioners to examine books and correct an)' misdirection of the funds of the 
association." 

Not only has .Mr. Cam]i given freely to aid the jioor, but lie has given wisely, 
and long after this and many unborn generations have passed away the income 
from the fund he founded will alleviate suflCring, and the blessings of the bene- 
ficiaries will be showered upon his name. 



540 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARV AND PORTRAIT GALLKRV OF THE 



Mr. Camp has not turned all of his charity into the one channel, but he has 
aided many other institutions by his labors and donations. He is a trustee of the 
Chamber of Commerce gratuity fund; trustee of Milwaukee County Hospital for 
the Insane, and he has been prominently connected with the Associated Charities 
since its organization. He has not given much time or attention to business en- 
terprises outside of his banking connections, but has served as a director and 
chairman of the finance committee of the Northwestern National Fire and Marine 
Insurance Company since the company's organization, and in that capacity has 
been an assistance in the success of that corporation. 

Upon retiring from the arduous labors associated with the presidency of an 
institution such as the First National Bank, Mr. Camp organized, in January, 
iSc)4, The Milwaukee Trust Company, which is capitalized for $100,000, and of 
which he is president, and Frank G. Bigelow (president of the First National 
Bank) vice-president, with his son, Mr. Robert Camp, as secretary and treasurer. 
The company was organized for all purposes for which trust companies are formed 
under the State law. 

Mr. Camp has always felt interested in good government but never permitted 
his name to be used in connection with any office of a political nature, but has 
always used his influence to aid the Republican party in its campaigns, and be- 
lieves that the greatest amount of good for the greatest number will be assured by 
the adoption and continuation of the principles of the Republican party as advo- 
cated by its leaders. 



HON. FRANCIS ARNOLD HOFFMANN, 

(Hans Buschbauer.) 

JEFFERSON. 

WISCONSIN has many unique characters, which stand out among their fel- 
lows endowed with a personality, rugged strength and vigor peculiarly 
their own. They Vv'ere the product partly of a unique and peculiar inheritance 
and partly of a condition of things which has forever passed away. They were 
strong, brainy, intense men, with whom to think was to act; but, unhappily for 
us, they are fast passing away. 

Of these characters there is none stronger in native force, richer in the treas- 
ures of solid learning, or endowed with greater versatility than Hon. Francis A. 
Hoffmann, better known from one end of Wisconsin to the other, whether in forest 
or prairie, as "Hans Buschbauer. " Born in a foreign land, he delights in the 
sobriquet of the German republican. He has been a bootblack, school-teacher, 









i2u^V'■ 



Representative men (w the united states; Wisconsin volume. 543 

minister of the Gospel, editor, fanner, lawyer, insurance expert, statesman, and 
has ac(]uitled himself with distinguished credit in every department of work to 
which he has laid his hand. 

Francis Arnold Hofimann was born at Herford, province of Westphalia, in 
the kingdom of Prussia, June 5, 1822, an"d is the son of h^rcdcrik William and 
W ilhelmine {ncc Groppe) Hoftmann. His father was vhe projirictor of a bookstore 
and bindery. The son received his elementary education at the parochial school. 
At the age of twelve years he was sent to the Frederick gymnasium, a classical 
institution of learning in his native town. A remarkable degree of devotion to 
horticulture and agriculture was already inherent in the lad. He always had his 
little patch in his father's garden, on which fruit trees were raised, grafted and 
budded. The vacations were spent by the young student, whenever possible, at the 
house of some relative where his thirst for country life could be satished. He left 
his native country in 1840, being then but eighteen years of age, and reached New 
York penniless. Having borrowed eight dollars^from a friend in that city, he started 
for Chicago, which was then beginning to be a considerable village. After a long, 
tedious journey in freight boats on the Hudson river and the Erie canal, and a 
small schooner on the lakes, he arrived at Chicago in September of that year. 
Moneyless, friendless, and unable to speak the English language, he found a poor 
prospect for "getting a start in the wurld." I-^ather than do nothing, he accepted 
the position of bootblack at the Lake House, which at that time was the first-class 
hotel ol that city. A month subsequently he accepted an offer to teach a small 
German school at Dunkley's Grove in Du Page county, at the extraordinary salary 
of hfty dollars per annum, with the privilege of boarding around among the par- 
ents of the pupils. His next step was into the pulpit, being ordained as a minis- 
ter by the Lutheran Sj'nod of Michigan. The district of his services embraced 
Chicago and other points in Cook county, as well as the counties of Du Page and 
Will, in Illinois, and the county ot Lake in Indiana. While engaged in this work 
as a minister he took an active part in all public affairs. He represented his 
county in the famous river and harbor convention held at Chicago in 1847. Here 
he formed the personal acquaintance of Horace Greeley and many other promi- 
nent men. 

During the earlier part ot the '40s a (German weekly was established at Chi- 
cago, and Mr. Hoffmann wrote the editorials at his log cabin in Du Page county, 
one of the proprietors of the paper walking a distance of fifteen miles every week 
for copy, bringing along a bundle of exchanges, which was received by the parson 
as payment in full for his editorial labors! 

A few years later Mr. Hoffmann became the owner of forty acres of prairie, 
about twenty-five miles west of Chicago. Now his greatest earthly desires were 
realized. He erected a small frame house on the premises, built wire fences, 
which would keep the cattle neither in nor out, planted forest and huit trees and 



544 BIOGRAnilCAL niCTIONAKV AND PORTRAIT ClAl.l.KRV OF THE 

aimed at scientific farming, such as was then in vogue. He became a frequent 
contributor to the columns of the Prairie Farmer, pubhshed by John S. Wright 
at Chicago. 

In 1852, on account of faihng health, Mr. Hoffmann quit the ministry and 
removed to Chicago, where he read law. After he was admitted to the bar 
he established himself in the real-estate business, in which he was very successful. 
In 1853 he was elected a member of the City Council. From 1854 to 1861 he 
was engaged in banking, and then engaged in insurance business, and was elected 
president of the Chicago Board of Underwriters. He was appointed Consul for 
the United States at Chicago by a number of German governments. For four 
years he was also commissioner of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, in 
which capacit}' he was instrumental in inducing thousands of German families to 
settle in the central part of the State, by which means that section had its agricul- 
tural resources rapidly developed. 

In 1856 the anti-slavery convention of Illinois nominated Mr. Hoffmann for 
Lieutenant Governor, by acclamation, against his earnest protest; but it was sub- 
sequently ascertained that he was disqualified by his not having been a citizen 
fourteen years, as required by the constitution. Four years afterward the Repub- 
lican State convention at Decatur again nominated him, still against his will, for 
Lieutenant Governor, by acclamation, on the ticket with "Dick" Yates for Gov- 
ernor. At this convention John Hanks, of Macon county, presented two of the 
rails made by Abraham Lincoln the first year after he came to the State. Mr. 
Lincoln, who headed the national ticket for that campaign, was not in the hall, 
but was sent for, and in a short time made his appearance, the delegates rising to 
cheer him as he entered. When quiet was restored, Richard J. Oglesby arose 
and addressing the presiding officer, said: "An old citizen of Macon county wishes 
to make a presentation to the convention." On announcement two old fence-rails 
were borne forward to the stand, inscribed, "Abraham Lincoln, the rail-splitters' 
candidate for the presidency in i860: two rails from a lot of 3,000 made in 1830 
by Thomas Hanks and Abraham Lincoln, whose father was the first pioneer of 
Macon county." After the cheering had subsided Mr. Lincoln related in his hap- 
piest manner the circumstances attending the making of the rails used in fencing 
a field and building a cabin for his father, the first work he did in Illinois. The 
national convention to nominate a candidate for the presidency was held at Chi- 
cago a few days later. The ticket was triumphantly elected, and Mr. Hoffmann 
filled the office of Lieutenant Governor during four of the most stirring and event- 
ful years of our nation's histor)', from Januar)' 14, 1861, to 1865. He was a most 
earnest and efficient co worker with Governor Yates in the military preparations 
and other public services of those momentous years of war and peril. We ven- 
ture the assertion that a more popular gentleman than Lieutenant Governor 
Hoffmann never presided over the Senate of the State of Illinois. When Mr. 
Lincoln was nominated for re-election for the presidency in 1864, Mr. Hoffmann 



REPRKSENTATIVli MKN (IK IlIL LMTKIJ STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 545 

was nominated for Presidential Elector of the State at large. He probably trav 
eled more miles and made more speeches than all the other candidates for the 
electorship combined. 

In all positions Mr. Hoffmann has been faithful and eificicnt, bringing to the 
discharge of his duty the highest and best (lualities of his nature. He is now 
and always has been most popular among the common people, and, like Mr. 
Lincoln, loves to appeal to their broad sense of justice and right. He was the 
trusted and faithful friend of Mr. Lincoln, Governor Yates and General Grant, 
and was also very intimately acquainted with Stephen A. Douglas, whose politi- 
cal opponent he was. They had in him a most implicit confidence for all the 
obligations of war and peace; and, while he is a strong jiartisan, his political op- 
ponents gave him the credit of having, in the highest degree, the two cardinal 
virtues of a public servant — honesty and capability. He is among the last of a 
race of public men who have given glory to the State and grandeur to the nation. 
With him closes an era in politics which, for importance in the history of nations, 
in the development of libcrt\-, in the achievements of men. has no parallel in the 
annals of time. 

During his political and business career Mr. Hoffmann resided on a farm 
near Chicago, spending much of his time in horticultural and agricultural pur- 
suits. It is, however, as a practical horticulturist and as an agricultural writer and 
editor that "Hans Buschbauer" has won his brightest laurels. In this capacity 
he has not only won an enduring reputation, but has also been the guide, philoso- 
pher and friend of the thousands of his countrymen who have made Wisconsin 
their home, bringing to it the industry, the capacity for patient toil, — for the 
confidence in a friend which, once given, is never withdrawn, that distinguish the 
children of the Fatherland. Nor is he one of those editorial writers, alas! too 
common, who, if they are honest, might well say: 

W'c farm (on foolscap) with complete siicces.s, 
And till large farms with paper, pen and ink; 
And, sitting indoors, at a regular price. 
Give large amounts of good outdoor advice. 

Since 1875 Mr. Hoffmann has lived at Riverside farm, rusar Jefferson. In 
almost a quarter of a century since he has made Riverside at once his home and 
the expression of his thought in matters agricultural and horticultural, he has de 
lighted his friends, whethjer of the fatherland or of the land of his adoption (whom 
he has in so many ways served so well) by his writings in the Milwaukee Germa- 
nia, an agricultural weekly, which alone has a much larger circulation than all 
other German agricultural papers combined. In addition to this, he is the agri- 
cultural editor of the Chicago Warte and the Buffalo Volksfreund. He has also 
been a voluminous author on agricultural subjects, writing in the German lan- 
guage, and very large editions of his works have been issued, — among them 



5^6 Bioc.KArmcAL uictionarv and roRTRArr gallery of the 

"Rusclil);uu'i's llanclliook on the Culture of Grasses and Fodder Plants," and his 
works on poultr\- breeding, Liee-culture and horticulture. 

On Februar\- 22, 1844, occurred the most interesting event in Governor Hoff- 
mann's life, namely, his marriage to Miss Cynthia Gilbert, an American lady, and 
a daughter of a well-to-do farmer, a most noble woman, devoted wife and mother 
and wise counselor. Thev are the parents of four sons, namely: Francis A., Jr., 
a prominent lawver of Chicago; Dr. Julius Hoffmann, a resident of Jeflerson; Dr. 
Adolph Hotimann, now located in Colorado; and Gilbert, who has charge of the 
Riverside farm, the home of the Governor. On February 22, 1894, the fiftieth 
anniversary of the marriage of the honored couple took place. Surrounded by 
some two-score of children, grandchildren and intimate friends, Francis A. HofT- 
mann and his faithful helpmeet stood in the parlor of their beautiful home at 
Riverside, and heard the clergyman repeat the words which fifty years before had 
joined their hearts and labors. The couple, whose golden wedding was thus cele- 
brated, are known from Maine to California and from the lakes to the gulf among 
German agriculturists and humble tillers of the soil as "Hans and Grethe." For 
sixteen years has Mr. Hotimann been the agricultural editor of the Milwaukee 
Germania, and his wife the editor of the household department of that widely 
circulated publicaticMi. Thev have conducted their editorial labors in the study 
of their lovely farm home, which is situated about a mile from Jefferson Junction. 
It is here that their relatives and friends joined them in their celebration of the 
fiftieth anniversary of their marriage. The mails and wires carried them also the 
congratulations of more than five hundred friends, in all sections of the country. 
Many congratulations came from people who were the Governor's scholars more 
than fifty years ago. 

In the parlor of the Riverside farm-house, at one o'clock p. m., the company 
assembled. The room was lavishly decorated with floral offerings from all quar- 
ters, forming a perfect arbor of roses, violets and lilacs, and garlands. To make the 
occasion happier, if possible, the congratulatory conversation was punctuated with 
the crowing of a newly arrived baby boy, in the morning presented to Gilbert 
Hoffmann by his wife, and adding a grandson to the family of the veteran editor. 
At one o'clock the happy couple clasped hands, and the Rev. Henry Vogel, of 
Jefferson, repeated the wedding ceremony. At its conclusion George Brumder, 
publisher of the Germania, made a speech of congratulation on behalf of his cm- 
ployes, and Christ. Koerner, of the editorial staff, presented the couple with a 
handsome French roccoco clock and two golden candelabra. The presents were 
numerous and varied. .\ charming incident was the presentation, by Professor 
Rosenstengel, of the State university, of the following letter from the faculty of 
the Agricultural College: 

"Madison, Wls., Feb. 17. 

" Pear Governor Hoff'mann: By the bearer of this. Professor Rosenstengel, 
we, the members of the College of Agriculture of the University of Wisconsin, 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN' OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 547 

send to you and your beloved wife our cordial greetings. Through your untiring 
eftorts among the German-American farmers for the upbuilding of agriculture, 
and for a higher intellectual development on the farm, you have won a position 
without a counterpart in this whole great country. It is scarcely an exaggeration 
to say that ''Hans Buschbauer" is known, loved and cjuoted in every German- 
.Vmerican home in America. Realizing all this, how can we but rejoice with you 
on this happy anniversary day which comes to you and your family with all its 
happiness, finding you surrounded by your personal friends and knowing that 
tens of thousands scattered over America are saying, 'This is Hans' golden wed- 
ding day.' May many happy days yet come to you and your good wife, is the 
heart-felt wish and prayer of all of us at the Agricultural College, who are in a po- 
sition to measure, in some small degree, the great good done for Anierican agri- 
culture. 

H. A. Henry, Dean of College of Agriculture. 

S. M. Babcock, Professor of Agricultural Chemistry. 

E. L. GoFF, Professor of Horticulture. 

E. A. Hole, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Chemistry. 

F. H. King, Professor of Agricultural Physics. 
John A. Crak;, Professor of Aiiimal //usbandry. 
H. L. Russell, Professor of Bacteriology." 

Professor Rosenstengel also read the following letter from Professor Adams: 

"Universitv of Wisconsin, Feb. 21. 

''Dear Professor Rosenstengel: It gives me great pleasure to learn that you 
are to-morrow to go to Jefferson for the purpose of being present at the golden 
wedding of the Honorable Francis A. Hoflmann. It was my purpo.se to send a let- 
ter by mail; but I shall now be gratified if you will present it for me in person. I 
wish, on behalf of the university, not only to express my congratulations on the 
occasion of this auspicious event, but also to thank Mr. Hoflfmann very sin- 
cerely and heartily for the numerous and valuable contributions he has made to a 
science on which so many of the people of this and other States very largely de- 
pend for their welfare and comfort. Mr. Hoffmann, by the use of his pen and 
example, has become known in all parts of the land; and it is a matter of sincer- 
cst congratulation that his health and vigor have enabled him to continue his use- 
fulness in full measure to the present time. In behalf of the univcrsil}- I beg to 
express the hope that his health and happiness, and tliat of his wife. ma\- continue 
in undiminished measure for many years to come. 

"Have the kindness to present this message from the university, and believe 
me Very truly yours, 

C. K. Adams, President." 

Such in brief is the life of one of the founders of the great Republican party. 
He has passed the Psalmist's span of time, of three-score years and ten, with his 



54^ BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT OALLERY OF THE 

mental and physical qualities unimpaired by participation and active interest in 
all the events of the dav; he has seen the nation grow from twenty millions 
of people to nearly seventy millions; he has seen slavery abolished and the 
republic tried by the greatest civil war that history records and emerge from it 
stronger and more firmly rooted in the hearts of the people than ever before; he 
has also felt himself grow into the affections of the great host to whom he weekly 
preaches the doctrine of industry and usefulness through his agricultural papers; 
he is widely known and loved for his simplicity and kindness, and in this respect 
resembles his great preceptor, Abraham Lincoln. The labors of "Hans Busch- 
bauer" are probably better known to the farmers in the Northwest, and particu- 
larly the German element, than those of any other man who has ever appeared 
in its history; and, though he has never become the possessor of great wealth, he 
and his beloved wife feel themselves rich beyond expression in the evidences of 
love and esteem which surround their useful life. He has been honored by pub- 
lic conhdence and held many and most important offices; but his literary labors, 
under the nom dc plume of "Hans Buschbauer," are the crown of a well spent life, 
and its influence will forever be felt in the well-tilled and fruitful farms of the 
Northwest. 



GEORGE W. GERRY, 

APPLETON. 

GEORGE W. GERRY descended from a hardy stock, which left the impress 
of its vigor upon his mental and physical being. 

He was born September 21, 1840, at Andover, New Brunswick, where he 
spent the earlier years of his life in buffeting the world for the success which he 
subsequently achieved. 

He came to Appleton in 1868, and thereafter made that his home until his 
greatly deplored death, which occurred June i, 1890. 

llpon his arrival at Appleton, as an experienced lumberman he first entered 
the employ of a hrm extensively engaged in that business, but so thorough was 
he in the management of every duty assigned him, and so frugal in his haliits, 
that he soon attracted wide attention, which shortly culminated in a condition of 
affairs that enabled him to establish an independent trade. 

Eminently just and unprejudiced in his measurement of men, he rarely ever 
erred in the personal, political or business alliances formed, and it is something 
to say of him that among the saddest hearts his death caused are those whom he 
left as partners and employers. 

Mr. Gerry was not cast in that plcbian mold which fits one for the con- 



REPRESENTATIVK MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 



tented life of a menial. With splendid natural abilities and an aggressive nature, 
free from suspicion of selfishness, and consistently modest and unassuming, he 
meritrd a leadership in the; industrial world, — the leadership that he acquired and 
honored. Fortune smiled on his independent start, and the number of the world's 
workers is limited indeed who have left such a competence to a loved and loving 
family. His intiuence was never inspired by a feeling of personal ambition. On the 
contrary, his career was a shining example in the opposite direction. 

There is nothing in the simple story of his life to show that he ever for a mo- 
ment sought to compass a given end for the purpose of exalting himself. He 
championed measures and aided men, and accepted as his reward that thrill of 
delight which always accompanies victories achieved. 

Steadfast, persevering and self-reliant, he rarely ever failed to accomplish a 
task once undertaken, and be it said of him he never intrigued for advantage over 
a rival. 

Open and earnest and manl\-, was his intercourse and dealing, and even when 
he felt that injustice had been done him he never murmured. He had an abid- 
ing faith in the equalizing power of time, and when misunderstandings occurred 
he relied upon the justness of his cause to defeat the opposition encountered. 

Mr. Gerry is survived by his wife, formerly Miss Clara A. Waters, of Apple- 
ton, to whom he was married in 1869, and two children, — a son, Henry E., and a 
daughter, Effie M. Their home is one of the handsomest in the city of Appleton. 



BENJAMIN WILD, 

lONl) 1)U LAC. 

BENJAMIN WH^D is a native of Burslem, Staffordshire, England, and was 
l)orn in the year 1828. He is one of a family of five children, three sons 
and two daughters. The father of this family was a baker, and with him Benja- 
min learned his trade. While a resident of England Mr. Wild married Miss 
Eliza Bonell, and in 1S50 embarked with his family for America, locating in Mil- 
waukee, Wisconsin, where he worked at his trade and for six years had charge of 
the baking establishment of Follan.sbee & Company. 

In i860 he came to Fond du Lac and embarked in business on his own 
account. He began in a small way and labored earnestly and faithfully to bring 
success. He little dreamed of the prosperous future in store for him, but his 
business increased from year to year, and he is now at the head of one of the larg- 
est establishments of its kind in the West and transacts a business of a i|uarter of 
a million dollars annually. 



552 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 

In 1890 B. Wild & Company sold out their interest in the Excelsior Steam 
Bakery to the American Biscuit Manufacturing Company. Mr. Wild, however, 
is manager of the Fond du Lac part of the business. Since 1871 Mr. Wild has 
been associated in his business enterprises with his son-in-law, John Heath. 

Mr. and Mrs. Wild are the parents of six children, — three sons and three 
daughter, as follows: Mrs. Sarah Heath, William Walter, Benjamin, Mrs. Lizzie 
Heath, Mrs. Fannie Eastman and Edward B. The sons are all engaged in their 
father's business. 

For a third" of a century Mr. Wild has resided in Fond du Lac, and during 
that entire time has so demeaned himself as to command the confidence and 
respecc of all that know him. Starting his career with a capital consisting only 
of energy, ambition and integrity, he has climbed by hard work to the position of 
a prominent m:inufacturer, and enjoys the luxury of ample means. His is an 
interesting career for it shows that true success can only be obtained through 
steady application and attention to business. 



COLONEL FRANK H. PUTNEY, 

WAUKESHA. 

AMONG the men by whose industry, energy and capital Wisconsin has been 
created. Colonel Frank H. Putney should be accorded a high and honored 
place, for he has been a leading force in her commercial and business advance- 
ment during the years that he has resided within her boundaries, and any account 
of the men of the State that did not give full credit and measure to his labors 
would be incomplete. 

Frank Howell Putne}' was born at Rocktord, Illinois, October 13, 1841, and 
is the son of Foskett and Clarissa (Howell) Putney, natives of New York State. 
Our subject is of pure New England stock, and traces his ancestry as far back as 
1649, at which date the founder of the American branch of the family emigrated 
from England. 

In 1850 the parents of the subject of this sketch moved to Waukesha, and he 
continued tliere, in Carroll College, the education that had been begun in the 
schools of Milwaukee. 

In 1859, being out of health, he went to Grand Rapids, Wisconsin, in the 
hope of recuperation, and while there accepted a clerkship in a general store. 
There he remained until the breaking out of the civil war, when he subordinated 
all private ambition to the public welfare, and enlisted as private in Company G, 
Twelfth Wisconsin Infantry, Colonel George E. Bryant, of Madison, command- 
ing. With his regiment he served in the Army of the Tennessee, under General 



REPRESENTATIVK MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 555 

Sherman, during the entire period of the war, and participated in all battles in 
Tennessee and alon<^ the Mississippi. He also took part in Sherman's ever mem- 
orable "march to the sea. lie was appointed and served as Lieutenant and 
Aide-de-camp on the stall of General Charles Ewing. In 1S65, upon the close of 
the war, he was honorably discharged and mustered out of the service at Louis- 
ville, Kentucky. He at once returned to his Wisconsin home, where he read law, 
was admitted to the bar, and entered upon the practice of his profession, in which 
he soon took a prominent rank. He engaged in other lines of business outside of 
his profession, until the magnitude of his various enterprises caused him to retire 
from the lield of jurisprudence. He is at present the Postmaster at Waukesha, 
having been appointed by President Harrison in January, 1891. 

He is a stockholder and director of the Waukesha National Bank, president 
of the Waukesha American Gas Company, and president of the Waukesha Elec- 
tric Light Company. 

Politically Colonel Putney is a stanch and loyal adherent to the Republican 
party, and his fellow citizens have many times elected him to positions of public 
trust. 

For several terms he filled the office of President of the village of Waukesha, 
and has been a member of the Board of Supervisors of Waukesha county. From 
1882 to 1886 he was County Judge of his county, and made a most able jurist. 

In 1876 and 1877 he was private secretary and military secretary to Governor 
Ludington, as well as a Colonel and Aide-decampon that executive's stafY. From 
1878 to 1882 he was assistant Secretary of State of the State of Wisconsin. 

Colonel Putney is one of the most prominent members of the Episcopal 
Church at Waukesha, having in former years been a member of the vestry and 
junior Warden of the parish. 

In every enterprise calculated to enhance the best interests of his fellow citi- 
izens, he can always be counted upon to do his share, and more; and Waukesha's 
present prosperity and high rank among the cities and towns of Wisconsin, is due 
to the labors of such men as Colonel Frank H. Putney. 



RT. RF.V. SEBASTIAN GEBHARD MESSMER, 

GREEN BAV. 

SEBASTIAN GKBHARl) MESSMER was born August 20, 1847, in Goldach. 
Canton St. Gall, Switzerland, and is the son of Sebastian and Rosa (Baum- 
gartner) Messmer. 

Our subject passed through the schools of his native town, and afterward 
took a three years' course at the high school in Rorschach, and the iollowing five 



556 HKHlKArilUAl. niCIIONAKV ANI> rDKrUAlT i;A1.1.KRV UK riiK 



years, truni \X6\ to i8()6, were spent in a clerical colle<:;e near St. Gall. l""roni 
1866 to 1871 \\c studied philosophy and theoK>L;;v at the Ihiiversitv of Innsbruck, 
Austria, where he w.is ordained to the priesthood on lulv j :;. 1871. 

C)ct(Uier 4, 1871, he came to America, havinv; previously been appointed pro- 
fessor of thet>loi;\- in the tliocesan semin.irw Smilh ChMiiLje, New |erse\-, where he 
taught until i88q, when he was called to the chair of e.inon l.iw in the Catholic 
Tniversitv at Washiny;ton, D. C. 

In 1884 he w,is one ot the secretaries of the jilenary council at Baltimort>, 
Maryland, antl, with DocUir, now Monsi^nor, CVConnell, published the acts and 
decrees of the council, after which he received the title of Doctor of Divinity from 
his Holiness, the Pope. 

DLiring the winter of 1889-90 he stutlietl Koman ci\ il law, at Rome, in the Col- 
Icgio AppoUinare, and was made Doctor of Canon Law. The following Sep- 
tember he entered upon his duties as teacher at the university. 

December 14, 1891, he was appointed Bishop of Green Bay, and was conse- 
crated in St. Peter's Church, Newark, New Jersey, March 27, 1892. by Right 
Reverend Otto Zardetti, at that time Bishop of St. Cloud, Minnesota, but now 
Archbishop of Bucharest, Roumania. 



JOHN FREDERICK MILL1:R. 

Cl'Mr.KKl ANU. 

PROB.\BLY no ni.ui's name as spoken in the town of Cumberland recalls 10 
those who knew him such mingled feeling of pride and sorrow as that of 
]. \'. Miller, — pride for his sterling character and services to the cit\- of his 
home, where he spent the greater part ot his useful life in adsancing her interests, 
and sorrow for his untimely death. Coming to this land of jiromise while yet a 
young man, just beginning to feel the powers that were latent within him, and at 
a time when the Northwest had just given an indication of her future greatness, 
he developed with it, growing strong as it strengthened, expanding in usefulness 
■as it expanded in prosperity and influence. ]. Frederick Miller became a man to 
whom the entire community was wont to look tor aitl and counsel. It is but nat- 
ural that his fellow citizens should kindle with pride at the mention of his name, 
and that the deepest sorrow and regret should be mingled with that feeling at the 
death which took him from their midst when still in the vigor of his manhood 
and usefulness. Mr. Miller was a grand man, whose natural unselfishness led him 
to eschew the honors that those that loved him would have conferred, and whose 
life, that of usetuliiess and beneficence, could only be fully known and truthfully 




j^,^ 0i,^^/^ 



RKPRLSEN TAllVK MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 559 

told after his death. He never sought glory for himself, but he did seek, and 
with all the energy of his sturdy nature, for the best and truest interest of the 
city he had chosen for his home and also for the welfare and good of her citizens. 

]. F. Miller was of (ierman parentage. He was born at Fallingsbostel, 
Hanover, April 9, 1S36. He was the son of Herman and Sojihie Miller, nre 
Elling. His father, whose ancestors followed the vocation of teaching for many 
generations, was killed in a powder explosion at a mill where he was an employe, 
when our subject was but fifteen months old. 

In August, 1857, Mr. Miller came to America with his mother, stepfather, a 
brother and two sisters. His education was obtained in Germany. He had also 
learned the tailor's trade in the old countr)', but never followed his profession in 
America. The family settled in Carver county, Minnesota, where our subject 
assisted in clearing the land at such times as he was not engaged in work upon 
the railroad then buildin<,f. The following year he obtained employment on a 
farm near Stillwater, ^Minnesota, at nine dollars per month. In 185S he worked 
in a brickyard at Chaska, where he received a .salary of twelve dollars per month. 
His wages were soon raised and he was advanced to the position of foreman and 
remained in that capacity four years. 

In 1865 Mr. Miller started a brickyard of his own at Carver, Minnesota, and 
successfully operated it three years. Afterward he moved to Cedar Lake, Min- 
nesota, where he superintended a brickyard for Hill, Criggs & Company, also 
dealing in wood, buying as high as sixty thousand cords annually. He remained 
in the employ of tliis company for six years. Then a partnership with Col. C. W. 
(iriggs was formed, and they continued the wood business at Montrose, on the Man- 
itoba Railroad, now the Great Northern, and conducted a general store in connection 
therewith. The most important change in Mr. Miller's life occurred in 1880. when 
he removed to Cumberland, Barron county, Wisconsin. Previous to that time the 
firm of Griggs & Foster had operated in Cumberland a lumber business which 
had already assumed large proportions. In 1881 this hrm was consolidated with 
Stone & Maxwell and merged into the Cumberland Lumber Company, of which 
Mr. Miller became the manager. Later another change took place, and the firm 
of (iriggs, Foster tS: Miller was established. Mr. Miller retained the personal 
management of the business, which rapidly grew in extent, and in 1887 the corpo- 
ration now known as the Beaver Dam Lumber Company was organized. Mr. Miller 
was elected vice-president and general manager. The reorganized company, 
with a capital stock of two hundred thousand dollars, succeeded to all the business 
of the former copartnership. The company conduct large saw, shingle and plan- 
ing mills; operate a large general store, and own extensive tracts of timber 
lands, employing over one hundred and fifty men. 'Ww annual ])rodu(i li.is ex- 
ceeded twenty million feet of lumber. To the industry, honesty, abilily and 
enterprise of Mr. Miller is largely due the prosperity of not only this company, 
but the entire city of Cumberland. In October, 1883, Mr. Miller founded the 



[^6o lUdC.RM'IIUAI. lllCriONAKV AND PdRTKArr C.ALI.KKV oK TIIK 



liank of C^imbcrland. He added materially to the growth of the city, ns he 
owned, platted and built a larj^e portion of it, and was heavily interested in prop- 
erly located in the counl)-. When tin- ncressil)' lor a model ii hotel aiose in 
C'uniherland, Mr. M iller iirojec-ted llie C"uinli(Ml,md Hotel. I le was also a heavy 
stockholder in the Ivastern .Mask,: Miniiit; \ Millini; fonipaiiy and s(M-\ed as 
treasurer of the or}.i;anization. 

The husiiK^ss life of Mr. Miller was characterized with an eiiei^y rarely 
(Miualed ill aii\' walk of life. l.iUeral, enterprising, progressive, jiuhlic spirited and 
lionest m all his de,dinL.;s, he obtained a wonderful hold upon all who came in con- 
tact with hiin, whether ein|)loyer or cv;//>A?^r('. and the high esteem in which he 
was held l)\ i)eople of all classes was due solely to his magnanimity in all direc- 
tions. 

ilis wonderful executive power, and the sympathy which he always showed 
for his tuip/ovcs. won for him their esteem. His office door was always open to 
liis hund)lest cmployr as well as to the public at large, and whenever a grievance 
was laid before him he listened patienth and endeavored to act as justly as pos- 
sible. His career is a striking illustration of the fruits of integrity, industry and 
uiirightness, and he was rich in possession of a noble charactt-r and those (lualili- 
cations which are essential to the highest type of manhood. 

Mr. Miller was married Mav i, iS()5, to Miss Catharine lluser, a native of 
Alsace, France. ICIeven children blessed this union. 'I'heir names in order ol 
birth are: Ida, the wile ol ICrnest Iknjamin. a banker ol Mauston, Wisconsin; 
Anna, married to Mr. B. H. VVaterrnan, of Cumberland; Frederick W. Miller, the 
successor to his father's business, and who was married December, i8gi, to Miss 
Cora M. Hunter, of Cumberland, Wisconsin; F\(lia, Mary, Clara, William, 
Albert, b'.ll.i, helle and b'.rnest. 

In |)olilical opinions Mr. Miller adli'Mcd to the K'epuMiean ]iart\, but was in 
no sensi> a politician. lie eschewed public oilices of all kinds, though he served 
faithfully and conspicuously as a member of the County Board of Supervisors 
lor manv \'ears. 

In private liie he was a most congenial, light sinrited and ]o\ial com|ianioii. 
and a true Irieiul whose .advice did not alwa\s (Mid in words .done. lb' and his 
wile were lor main' \e.irs mcMiibers of the I'.vangelical Association, but as the\' 
had no religious connections at Cumbei l.iiid, they attended the Methodist {Epis- 
copal church. l'"or a long time the church had no place of worship, and when it 
set about se; uriiig one Mr. Miller gave such valuable assistance that he was elected 
one ol the rrustt-es of the church and serxcd until the time of his de.ilh in that 
capat'itv. It w, IS, however, within the conliiies ol his home that Mr. Miller showed 
his true worth. He was a nio^l exempl,ir\ husb.ind and lo\ ing lather. Ilis death 
occurred, alter a long illness, on December 7, iSoj,.nid was mourned by theentire 
cominunity as a personal and irretrievable loss. Ihit in his own home, at his own 
hearthside, wdiere his happiest and most cdntented hours were passed, his death 



REI'RKSKNIAIIVK MKN ()!■ IIIK liNIIKI) STATICS; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 561 



caused an irreparable loss and left a sadness and gloom wliich will never be over- 
come. No man loved his family more than he. His entire married life displayed 
a f^reat desire to rear his children so that they might, in years to come, deserve 
the same confidence and respect of all with whom they became associated. He 
was domestic ni his tastes and habits, and his spare moments were always passed 
in the circle ot his home, in the companionship and society of his family. There 
he threw off all business cares and devoted himself undisturbedly to the joys of 
domestic life. 



WILLIAM DROWN, 

BEAVKK DAM. 

SUCH a work as the ont' in hand exercises its most consistent function when 
it enters a memoir to one who has passed as long and as useful a life as did 
the honored subject who.se name initiates this review. The stor\ of his career is 
one that tells of long identification with the history of Wisconsin and particularly 
of Beaver Dam, and the omission of a sketch of his life in this connection would 
prove a most flagrant neglect. 

William Drown was born at Shetru'ld, \'crmcMit, October 5, 1811, the son of 
Stephen and Sarah (Gray) Drown, the former of whom was engaged in agricul- 
tural pursuits tor many years in the old (ireen Mountain State. Our subject 
|)assed his boyhood years on the parental farmstead and received his rudimentary 
educational discipline in the common schools. While still a mere youth, how- 
ever, he gave up the theoretical educational work to enter upon the broader school 
which the practical affairs of life afforded. He engaged in business for himself as 
a general merchant at the little village of Colebrook, New Hampshire, where he 
remained for a period of four years, after which he located at St. Johnsbury, 
Vermont, where he was in business for a time, and then enteri'd the employ of the 
Fairbanks Scale Company, of that place. 

In the year 1857 he came to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and lure his daughter's 
marriage to Mr. J. J. Dick was consummated in 1862. Mr. Drown continued his 
residence here for some time, being still in iIh' rmpl<)\- of the Fairbanks Scale 
Company, and Mr. and Mrs. Dick maintained the charge of his home for a num- 
ber of years, while he was engaged with this corporation at I'hiladelphia, Albany, 
Cincinnati and Minneapolis. 

About 1880, being then well advanced in years, he retired from active busi- 
ness and returned to Beaver Darn, where he remained until the lime of his death, 
which occurred ;\pril 16, 1891. In his political adherency he was identified with 



:^6:: isior.RAruuAi uutionakv and roKrKAir r,Ai.i.i:KV 



the Republican j\ut\ , ami religiously he was a devoted member ot the Methodist 
Hpiscopal Chun h. lie hat! never consummated anv intimate relationship with 
anv ot the fr.ilernal orders. 

In iS;,o Mr. Hrown was united in marriage to Miss Maria Cass, who was a 
native ot the State ot \'ermont, and the issue o( this union was two daughters, 
namelv: Helen M., whose marriage to Mr. Dick has already been nt)tedand who 
still maintains her home in Beaver Dam; and Sarah Eliza, whose death occurred 
in the same year that her sister was married, iSoj. Mrs. Drown entered into 
eternal life December J4, 1S41. 

In iS.|.| our subject consummated a seet>nd marriage, being united to Miss 
Hannah Owen, who was born in Barton, Vermont, and who sur\ives her honored 
husband, maintaining her home with Mr. anti Mrs. Dick, who render her a 
true tilial care and affection. Of the second marriage no children were born. 

Mr. Drown took much interest in the welfare and deveK>pment of Beaver 
Dam, was a man of the stanchest rectitude of character, genial in his manners 
and jiossessed oi wide svm]Xithies. These points have rendereil to his memory 
that most effective monument, — the honor and esteem of those among whom he 
passed his davs. 



HENRY M. MENDEL, 

MIl.W AllvKK. 

HiiNK\ M. MENDEL was born in the city of Breslau, Province of Silesia, 
Germany, on October 15, 1831); received his earlv education in a jirivate 
school, and entered the gymnasium or high school at the age oi thirteen. In 1854 
he emigrated to the Cnited States, arriving at Milwaukee on the J4th day of 
August, the day on which the city was visited by its most destructive conriagra- 
tion. He obtained a situation immediately as clerk, at a salary of sio per month 
and board. He could not acquire the English language in the position obtained, 
and accepted one as copying clerk in the office of the Register of Deeds of Mil- 
waukee countv, and after two year's service became deputy Register. He next be- 
gan bookkeeping in a manufacturing business and remained there until the fall 
of 1865. In that year he engaged in business for himself, and remained in the 
firm established until 1S71, when he changed to go with a large manufacturing 
establishment. Seven years later he engaged in another business venture with 
good success, and in 1870 bought an interest in a new manufactory. In 1882 he 
formed a partnership with William E. Smith, ex (Governor of Wisconsin, and es- 
tablished a wholesale grocery antl importing house, .\fter Mr. Smith's death, in 
Eebruarv, 188;, the business was continueil bv Mr. Mendel, and under the name 



REI'RESENTATIVE MEX OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 565 

of Mendel, Smith & Company, has become one of the largest in its line ifi Mil- 
waukee. It is a notable fact that the four difi'erent branches of business, in which 
Mr. Mendel has engaged during the twenty-five years past, were so firmly es- 
tablished under his management that they are all still in existence under different 
firm names, and for each one of them he had buildings erected, which are still 
among the best business structures in the city; the building which is at present 
occupied by his firm being one of the largest, strongest and best planned business 
houses in Milwaukee. 

Mr. Mendel was married in 1869, and his family consists of his wife, Isabella, 
and two sons, Edward M. and Alfred M., and one daughter, Elsie P. Mendel; the 
oldest son, now twenty-five years old, is a graduate of Harvard College, and is 
now studying medicine at Breslau, Germany, — the birthplace of his father. 

While the standing of Mr. Mendel as a business man is commanding and re- 
spected, not less so is his .social position. He has occupied many positions of 
trust and honor, and is known for his indomitable energy in all his undertakings. 
Over thirty years ago he was the chief mover in building the hrst large hall, now 
known as the Academy of Music. For two years he was conspicuously engaged 
in arousing an interest in an exposition building, and he succeeded in raising a 
large sum of money for this purjwse. I le was for many years director of the Ex- 
position Association, member of the Building and blnance Committee, and also 
one of the vice-presidents; he has been for man}- years a director in the Board of 
Merchants' Association, and for a number of years has represented the same body 
as its delegate at the National Board of Trade meetings. He is much devoted 
to art, and especially music; is one of the oldest living members of the Milwaukee 
Musical Society, whose president he has been for many years, and is now hon- 
orary member of this society; he is also the only honorary member of the Arion Club 
of Milwaukee, one of the leading musical organizations of this city, and is its presi- 
dent. In 1883 he was elected president of the North American Saengerbund, a na- 
tional organization, having over 100,000 members. The "Bund" had its national fes- 
tival at Milwaukee in 1886, and Mr. Mendel was chosen president of the festival, 
which, under his leadership and administration prepared and arranged by his plans 
and carried out under his management, was probably the grandest musical affair ever 
attempted in this country; successful in every detail, bringing 100,000 people to 
Milwaukee, and carrying its fair name to ;ill quarters of the civilized globe. As 
a culmination of his efforts in the promotion of music and to make it a pos- 
sible factor in education, he was instrumental in organizing the Milwaukee Con- 
servatory of Mu.sic, whose president he was from the time of its incorporation; and 
they erected a hand.some building in the best residence part of the city, and the 
institution was favorably known far beyond limits of the State as long as it existed. 
Mr. Mendel is also vice-president of the Milwaukee Art Association. He has been the 
promoter of everything which might have tended to advance the prosperity of the 
city, and he must be regarded as one of the pioneers among its citizens, and one 



566 BIOGRArillCAL DICTIONARY AND PORl'KAIT GALLERY OF THE 



of the few who has given more than his share of time and money to make Mil- 
waukee what it is to day. 

Mr. Mendel has many scholarly attainments, and is often a contributor to 
newspapers and periodicals on questions of practical work and on art matters. He 
is a fine conversationalist and an expert performer on the violin. He is a type, 
as a German-American, of the class which has shared in the development of this 
country, and at the same time served humanity by continued efforts to elevate it 
by spreading love and admiration for the arts. 



HERCULES L. DOUSMAN, 

PRAIRIE DU CHI EN. 

HERCULES LOUIS DOUSMAN was the son of Col. H. L. Dousman, one 
of the best known men of Wisconsin, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere 
in this volume, and was born at Prairie Du Chien, April 3, 1848. His education 
was mainly obtained at Racine College and the Wisconsin State University. In 
1868, before he had attained his majority, his father died, and to our subject, who 
was the only child, fell the task of looking after the properties that had belonged 
to his parent. 

In 1873 he was united in marriage to Miss Nina Linn Sturges, a lady of noted 
beauty, accomplishments and worth, the eldest daughter of Gen. Samuel D. 
Sturges, an officer who distinguished himself on several occasions in important 
operations during the civil war, and who as Colonel of the famous Seventh Cav- 
alry (the fighting Seventh), won an enviable record as one of the best Indian fight- 
ers the United States Army has produced. 

Early in 1874 Mr. Dousman accompanied his wife on a visit to her father, 
who at that time was Commandant at JeiTerson Barracks, a visit which K-d to his 
making his home in St. Louis, although still retaining the beautiful ancestral 
mansion in Prairie du Chien, which was occupied by his mother until her death, in 
1882, and where himself and family usually spent their summers. 

A man of most cultivated tastes, he loved to surround himself with the choicest 
treasures of art, and in 1877, upon purchasing and remodeling a handsome man- 
sion in St. Louis, he added to it a gallery for a collection of paintings. By de- 
grees he acquired the best specimens of modern genius, until it became one of the 
choicest art collections in the country, and was one of the noted sights of St. Louis. 
One day in the week was set apart as visitors' day, which was fully appreciated by 
all interested in art. 





^^f^^^^ 



RErRESKNTATlVE MEN Ol' TIIE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUiME. 569 

As a. citizen of St. Louis he was constantly active in business and social life. 
He was prominently connected with some of the leading business enterprises, and 
the elegance and hospitality of his home were widely known and noticed. In i<S84 
Mr. Dousman returned to Prairie du Chien and engaged in the raising of blooded 
iiorses. He established a farm, which attained a national rejiutation, under the 
name of the Artesian Stock Farm, and to its general management and supervision 
lie devoted his constant personal attention. His natural tastes and inclinations, 
however, were hardly in harmony with this business; but it seemed about the only 
way in which he could profitably utilize the large tracts of land, specially adapted 
to this jiurpose, that he; owned in the vicinity; and the same ideas of excellence 
that prompted him to have only the choicest gems in his art collection, made him 
desirous of having only the best live-stock when he engaged in this new enter- 
prise; aside from this he would have preferred banking or mercantile pursuits as 
a means of active occupation, without which he felt he could not live and be con- 
tented. 

For a number of years he was the president of the Wisconsin Horse Breeders' 
.\s.sociation. to the great benefit of the ahairs of that organization. Mr. Dousman 
was a man of more than ordinary physical strength and vigor and was seldom 
sick. While spending New Year's dav, i<S86, with friends in Milwaukee, he was 
attacked with inflammation, arising primarily from indigestion, and upon returning 
home grt'w rapidly worse; though treated by the best of medical skill and ten- 
derly ministered to by a devoted wife and loving children, he was unable to rally, 
and on the 13th day of January, the anniversary of the day on which his mother 
died, he peacefully passed away, at his home in Prairie du Chien, mourned by all 
who knew him, honored by all who love integrit) of character and reveied by hosts 
of men who had become attached to him through business as.sociations. Though 
but thirty-seven years of age, he had, by jwssessing those high qualities which 
insure a man leadership among those who otherwise are almost equals, secured 
for himself a fame that has become a part of the history of the State of Wisconsin. 

He died in that Catholic faith in which he was born, and had ever lived, in 
which he had so strongly believed, and for which he had done .so much, strengthened 
by its sacraments and experiencing the consolation that it gives, even amidst the 
shadows of death and on the verge of the grave. 

The obsequies were attended by an unusually large and sorrowful gathering. 
The services were held at Saint Gabriel's Church, and were most impressive. 
After the celebration of a solemn high mass of recjuiem, all went in sad proces- 
sion to the cemetery, which, years before, his mother had donated to the congre- 
gation, and there after final services was laid to rest, by the side of the father 
and motiier who had "gone before," all that remained to earth of one who in life 
had been so esteemed and beloved by all. 

Gentle and generous by nature, he was ever altableand kind of heail in daily 
life and action. Inheriting a large fortune, and that in an age and at a time when 



570 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY ANai I'DRTRAIT tiALLERV OF THE 

money is too often considered the measure of manhood, he never courted or wor- 
shipped wealth. Intelligence and goodness, and these alone, were his tests of merit. 
Whether those whom he had occasion to meet were clad in costly raiment and 
came from the palaces of kings, or earned a living by honest daily toil, all received 
from him uniform and equal courtesy. He was one of those few but favored men 
whom neither wealth nor power could make oblivious to principles of right or 
duty. In the highest and Lest sense of the term, he was ever, and essentially, a 
gentleman. At his own home he was especially considerate and hospitable, and 
all who met him there will bear witness to his much more than ordinarv courtesy 
and kindness. 

He was always sensitive of the feelings and rights of others. His friendship 
was true, constant and free from selfish motives. Judgment rather than genius 
constituted the most prominent feature of Mr. Dousman's character. His intuitions 
were quick and reliable. He was a man of action rather than of deep thought. 
His life was occupied in doing practical good, rather than in pursuit ot name or 
fame. He accepted the philosophic maxim, that the performance of duty in what- 
ever field it lies is the highest and noblest condition of dignity and merit. Politics 
he studiously avoided; political conditionship or conquest for him were without 
charm. The peaceful, quiet walks of business life, undisturbed by outside causes, 
were far more to his liking, and this doubtless was the true sphere of his usefulness, 
and here he was ever successful. 

In the beautiful home, "Villa Louis," situated but a stone's throw from the 
rolling Mississippi, and filled with rare works of art, dwell the loved ones who have 
lost the most precious of all earthly gifts, a tender, loving husband, a fond and in- 
dulgent father. For though Mrs. Dousman with her son and four daughters re- 
sides part of the time in New York, yet it is around the old Dousman homestead, 
that the hallowed memories of the past cluster most thickly, fraught with recol- 
lections of the happy hours passed with him who is no more. 



CHARLES N. GREGORY, 



CHARLKS NOBLK GREGORY, son of Hon. Jared C. and Charlotte (Camp) 
Gregory, was born in Unadilla, Otsego county, New York, August 27, 1851. 
He is paternally descended from Henry Gregory, a native of Leicestershire, Eng- 
land, whose son John settled in Boston, in 16^3, and later located in Norwalk, 
Connecticut. When our subject was six years old he accompanied his parents to 
Madison, Wisconsin. His early education was obtained in the public and private 



RlCrRESEXTATIVIi MEN OE THE LMIEI) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 57 I 



schools of Madison. lie entered the preparatory school of the State University 
at an early aj^e. He graduated with high honors, receiving the degree of A. B. in 
1S71 and taking the Latin salutatory. In 1872 he graduated from the law depart- 
ment of the uni\ersitv with the degree of LL. B., and shortly thereafter received 
the degree of A. M. 

After comj)leting his law course Mr. Gregory became a clerk in the law office 
of the firm of Ciregory & Pinney, composed of his father and Hon. Silas U. Pinney, 
now Justice of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. He subsequently became junior 
partner of this firm, and the business was conducted under the name of Gregory, 
Pinney cS: Gregor\' until iS7g, when the partnership was dissolved. The firm of 
Gregory & Gregory was then organized, and continued under that name until 
1 886, when Col. George W. Bird became an associate and its title was changed to 
Gregory, Bird & Gregory. In 1889 Colonel Bird withdrew, and father and son 
continued in business until the death of the former Februar}- 7, 1892. Since then 
Mr. (Gregory has practiced alone. 

He has been actively engaged in much important litigation during the past 
ten years. He does not confine his business to any particular branch, but en- 
gages in a general line of practice. He has been retained in several celebrated 
will cases, and in that branch of litigation, as also in criminal law, he is considered 
an authority. In the Ford will case he appeared for Hamilton (N. Y.) College and 
succe.ssfuUy argued the case before the Supreme Courts of Wisconsin and Michi- 
gan. The ca.se involved several interesting and intricate questions: see Ford vs. 
Ford, 72 Wisconsin 621. Another celebrated will case that he argued before the 
Supreme Court was that of Dean vs. City of Superior et al. The case of the 
Merchants' National Bank vs. Chicago Railway Equipment Company was carried 
from the United States District Court of the Western District of Wisconsin to the 
United States Supreme Court. He argued the case in the lower court and pre- 
pared a brief for the Supreme Court. William French vs. State of Wisconsin 
(85 Wis. 400) was the title of a case, involving the constitutional right of a crimi- 
nal to trial by an impartial jury, won by him. These are a few of the important 
cases in which Mr. Gregory has been engaged, and are cited because of the large 
interests involved and the peculiar and interesting points of the law decided. He 
has for years held an annual retainer from the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul 
Railway Company. 

Politically Mr. Gregory is a Free Trade and Civil Service Reform Democrat. 
He served as .'\lderman of the First Ward in the City Council for thieeyears, and 
was chairman of the committee on Waterworks, when the waterworks were com- 
pleted. He was also chairman of the committee on Drainage and repre.sented the 
Council on the Board of Education. For many years he has been a member of 
the Board of Directors of the Free Library of the city of Madison and served as 
jircsident of the Alumni Association of the State University. For many years he 
has been secretary of the Dane County Bar Association. He is also a member of the 



572 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

American Bar Association. He has succeeded his father as a curator of the Wis- 
consin State Historical Society, and as a VestiYman of Grace Episcopal Church. 
He is secretary of the Historical and Political Science Association of the Uni- 
versity of Wisconsin. He is an ardent advocate of Civil Service Reform, and is 
secretary of the local Civil Service Reform Association and a member of the gen- 
eral committee of the National Civil Service Reform Association. 

Although desply engrossed with his professional duties, he has taken time for 
literary work, and has contributed a large number of interesting and instructive 
articles to various magazines and the daily press. His writings have been published 
in old Scribner's Magazine, Littell's Living Age, the Overland Monthly, Harper's 
Weekly and Harper's Bazaar, Outing, Youth's Companion, New York Nation, New 
York Independent, New York Evening Post, and in many Chicago and Western 
papers. He edited the "Tariff Reform Advocate" during the campaign of 1888, and 
he has wriiten several pamphlets on the subject of "The Corrupt Use of Money 
in Elections." In the spring of 1893 he read a paper on this topic before 
the National Civil Service Reform Association, in New York, and before the 
World's Auxiliary Congres.'; on Suffrage he read a paper on "The Corrupt Use of 
Monev in Elections and Laws for its Prevention." 

In June, 1891, Mr. Gregory was elected by the Regents of the University of 
Wisconsin, Professor of Law and Assi)ciate Dean of the College of Law. He 
accepted the election and withdrew from all practice except in the Supreme Court 
of Wisconsin, devoting his time otherwise wholly to his official duties. 



CADWALLADER GOLDEN WASHBURN, 

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. 

A MONG that sturdy band of pioneers who removed to the Northwest from 
rX. New England, no man has filled a more conspicuous or more admirable 
place than Governor C. C. Washburn, a grand and manly figure, transcendant in 
his qualities of mind and heart and endowed with commanding personal traits. 

The ancestors of the Washburn family were of the brave old Pilgrim stock, 
and dwelt in the quiet little English village of Evesham, near the Avon. When 
the days grew evil in England John Washburn, secretary of the Plymouth Colony 
in England, sailed across the sea to Massachusetts, where he married Patience, 
daughter of Francis Cook, one of the passengers on the Mayflower. They settled 
at Duxbury, one of the seashore towns of the Old Colony. In the direct line of 
his descendants came Israel Washburn, who was born in 1784, in the town of 
Raynham, near Taunton, Bristol county, Massachusetts. In June, 1812, he mar- 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED MAIK.^; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 575 



ried Martha Benjamin, daughter of Lieutenant Samuel Benjamin, a l^rave old sol- 
dier of the Re\c)lution, who began his campaigning at the battle of Lexington and 
remained in service until after Cornwallis' surrender, at Yorktown, not being out of 
active duty for a single day. After these many years of patriotic devotion, the 
veteran hero returned to his native region and married Tabitha, daughter of Na- 
thaniel Livermore, of Watertown, Massachusetts. The newly wedded couple set- 
tled in the town of Livermore on the Androscoggin river, in Maine, and soon after- 
ward Israel Washburn, after experimenting at teaching and shipbuilding on the 
Kennebec, came up here and founded a trading post. Israel Washburn and his 
wife had eleven children, ten of whom grew to maturity and married and had chil- 
dren of their own. Among these were Israel Washburn, Governor of Maine in 
i86i-'63, also member of Congress from 1850 to i860; Elihu B. Washburn, twenty 
years a member of Congress, Secretary of State in President Grant's cabinet, and 
United States Minister to France; Charles A. Washburn, United States Minister 
to Paraguay; Samuel B. Washburn, a naval officer during the civil war; William 
D. Washburn, Surveyor General of Minnesota, and member of the Forty-sixth, 
Forty-seventh and Forty-eighth Congresses, and at present United States Senator 
from Minnesota; and the subject of this sketch. 

C. C. Washburn was born at Livermore, Androscoggin (then Oxford) county, 
Maine, on the 26th of April, 18 18. The parish and neighborhood in which he was 
brt)ught up was distinguished for its strong Universalist spirit, and many of the 
leading citizens adhered to that faith. Among these adherents were the Washburn 
family, who attended the church as long as they remained in Livermore, and con- 
tributed liberally to its support. The Universalist church was built in 1828, near 
th3 Norlands, as the Washburn homestead is called, and for over sixty years has 
been a conspicuous landmark in that section. 

Our subject's education, as far as text-books go, was limited to the teaching 
received at the district schools, a few rods from his father's door; but greater than the 
works of the rustic pedagogue was the wise training given him by his parents, added 
to the fine nature inherited from them. When he reached the age of eighteen he 
went into a store and served some three years as clerk. This experience was fol- 
lowed by a period of school teaching at Wiscasset, a bright little seaport on the 
Maine coast. Then came a time of service as clerk in the postoffice of Hallowell, 
on the Kennebec river, during which he gave earnest attention to the studying of 
surveying. He also devoted some attention to reading law under the direction of 
his uncle, Reuel Washburn, a lawyer living in Livermore. 

In 1839 Mr. Washburn bade farewell to the State of his birth and sought the 
broader opportunities of the undeveloped West. He taught school at Davenport, 
Iowa, and was engaged in David Dale Owen's geological survey of Iowa, at the 
same time carrying forward his law studies until he was admitted to the bar. Thus 
he speedily gained a sure foothold in the country of his adoption; and in 1840 he 
received the appointment of surveyor of the county of Rock Island, Illinois. 



^76 isuH'.KAniic \i i>u'iui\\ia wi' roKiKAir uai.i.IvKv ok iiik 



Anolhcr m>>\f w ,is m ulc, 111 iS.|.\ In MiiUM.il roint, Wisconsin, wlu'i'i' lu- dcvolcd 
liinisclf lo the prai"tii"i> ol law. I'oUowini; tliis iiilricalr protcssion u illi unrcniit 
liiiij; (lili<:;enco, he soon allainnl ronsidorable distinction and lound hnnst'li lavmrd 
witli a laii;!' practifc, luUli in law and in snr\i'\ in>;. 

I Ir tornied a parlnorship with Cvrns Woodman, .iL;cnt ol the New l'".nL;hind 
Conip.uu', .ind this .issoci.ition rontiniu-d tor uunt- th,in twcMU\- years. Their l)usi 
ness consisted hu">;;ely in cleaiMii!.^ and estabHshin_>; the new settlers' titles to their 
h(M«es, — niatters of much difliciiltv and i^reat importance to their clients. Durini; 
,\ score ol \ ears spent in these pursuits, Mr. Washburn actiuired a wide circle ol 
acquaintances thrtnij^hout Wisconsin, and tlu- -.general rejj;ard for his abilit\ .iiul 
intep;ritv compelled his enlranci- into public and political lite. Entering public Kind 
for settlers, locilin^ ^K>xic.ln w.ir-huul w.urants, ,uul establishini;' the stroiiL; and 
always solvent Miner, il Point P.ink, the two p.utners tlrifteti n.itur.dh , .uul by 
easy stages, from l,iw to linince, ,uid Ino.idened their acipninl, nice and op|>ortuni- 
ties. 

In iS^5, Mr. Washlnini was elecleil to Congress, where he served threeterms 
(until M.irch _;o. iSoi), and then declined a reelection, ids CcMigression.il c.ireer 
was m.uked bv great s,ig,icit\- of jiolicv and bv a lirm, i\itriotic stand on all the 
great questions then .igitathig the ct>untr\' ^h\ the e\e of the civil war. .\t the 
outbreak of the w.ir Mr. W.ishburn enlisted in the b\'deral army, ,ind rem.iinctl in 
•u'tive service until the I'lo.se o( hostilities, lie began his military career as 
Colonel o\ the Second Wisconsin Cavalry, a fine regiment he had raised, ami 
serveil with such elliciencN' that President Lincoln commissioned him ,is Prigailier 
Cieneral in June, iSbJ. rhe perilous Arkansas campaign of iSoj cdled forth 
Colone! Washburn's most strenuous ellorts, and his achievements at r.ill,ih,itihie .iiul 
in opening the Yazoo Pass and at Grand Coteau, where his conspicuous v. dor saved 
Burbritlge's entire division, were celebrated throughout the army of the West. In 
November, iSoj, he became a Major (uMier.d, and as such held ,111 important 
command tluring the X'icksburg campaign, .\tter the fail of N'icksburg, General 
Washburn w.is iihiced m comminil of the riiirteenth Corps and ordered tt> active 
service in the Gulf States. .\t the head of these brave troops his career was 
marked by various brilliant achievements along the Texas coast, and iinally 
resulted in the capture of the strong, casemateci and ironclad works o{ Vovl 
Esperanza, at Pass Cavallo, defending the ap[iroach of Matagorda b,iy. .\fter a 
long season of warfare on the Ciulf coast, General Washburn went up to Mem- 
phis and succeeded (.ieneral Stephen A. Hurlbut in comm.ind of the military dis- 
trict of West Tennessee. He thereafter held this important post nearly the en- 
tire time until the close of the war. 

After General Washburn had resigned his commission and returned to Wis- 
consin, he wms again elected to Congress, where he served during the eventful 
epoch friMii 1807 to 1S71. as a Republican Representative from the Sixth Wiscon- 



KKPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 577 

sin district. In November, 1S71, he was elected Governor of Wisconsin, a higli 
and responsible office, whicli he lilled successfully during two years, 1872 and i^y^. 
Finally retiring from public life. Governor Washburn devoted himself to the 
administration of his great and varied business affairs, which included the lumber 
mills in connection with the extensive woodlands he had acquired before 1850; the 
water power at St. Anthony's Falls, of which he was one of the largest owners; and 
interests to a considerable amount in the Minneapolis & St. Louis and other 
railroads. 

In 1876 Governor Wa.shburn erected a huge flour mill at Minneapolis, em- 
bodying several new ideas and introducing for the first time in America the Hun- 
garian process and the patent process. In 1878 this great building was destroyed 
by an explosion; but its indomitable founder reared on its site a new flour mill, 
even larger and more ingenious. Governor Washburn always felt a deep interest 
in the University of Wisconsin, of which the Legislature made him a life Regent, 
and from whose faculty he received the degree of LL. D. In i878-'8o he erected 
the Washburn Observatory at a cost of $50,000, and gave it to the university, 
together with a full equipment of apparatus. He was also for several years presi- 
dent of the Wisconsin Historical Society. The great ruling ambition of Governor 
Washburn's life was to do good in his day and generation; and there are many 
beneficent and lasting monuments to his philanthropy in the great Northwest. 
.•\.mong these visible indications of his steady purpose are the observatory at Mad- 
ison; the orphan asylum at Minneapolis; the library at La Crosse, and St. Re- 
gina's Academy at Edgewood, near Madison. One of the most beautiful memo- 
rials of his munificence is the Washburn Home, a noble, high-towered brick build- 
ing, on a far-viewing hilltoji, three miles from Minneapolis. For this worthy object 
he bequeathed so large a sum that, after erecting the building at a cost of $80,000, 
more than $340,000 remain as an endowment fund, which is sufficient to maintain 
a hundred children. The terms of the bequest indicate that "Any child under 
fourteen years of age, whether orphan or half-orphan, shall be received without 
any question of distinction as to age, race, sex, color or religion, and shall be dis- 
charged at the age of fifteen." This noble endowment he made within his life- 
time and as a memorial to his devoted mother, believing that he could do no better 
than to establish in her memory a home for orphan children. 

General Washburn married Miss Jeanette Garr, of New York. Their chil- 
dren are Jeanette, who married Mr. A. W. Kelsey, now of Philadelphia; and 
Fanny, who married Mr. Charles Payson, now of Washington, D. C. During 
many years, Governor Washburn lived in the beautiful little city of Madison, the 
capital of Wisconsin, amid its girdle of blue lakes. From this point he adminis- 
tered the affairs of his great lumber mill at La Crosse, and the flour mills at 
Minneapolis, with equal skill and success. He spent long periods of time at Min- 
neapolis, in full sympathy with its sturdy activities and its far-reaching enter- 
prises. 



578 BIOGRAnilCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

The death of this honored and noble man, wlio had contributed so largely 
to the progress and material advancement ot the Northwest, and whose career was 
one of distinction both in times of peace and war, occurred at Eureka Springs, 
Arkansas, May 14, 1882. The immediate cause of his death was paralysis, which 
had been superinduced by a complication of other diseases. 



EDWARD DWIGHT EATON, LL. D., 



EDWARD DWIGHT EATON, president of Beloit College, was born in 
Lancaster, Wisconsin, January 12, 1851. His father, Samuel W. Eaton, 
D. D., was graduated at Yale College in the class of 1842. He became one of 
the pioneer clergymen of this State, having been for forty years the honored 
pastor of the Congregational Church of Lancaster, and being still in active ser- 
vice in the ministry. The mother of our subject, Catherine Demarest Eaton, is 
of Huguenot descent, the daughter of a New York clergyman. 

The gentleman whose name heads this record was fitted for college at the 
classical school then sustained at Lancaster, and in September, 1868, entered 
Beloit College, at which he was graduated as valedictorian of the class of 1872. 
He studied theology at Andover, Massachusetts, and at the Yale Divinity School, 
graduating in the latter institution in 1875. On the 23d of August of the same 
year he married Miss Martha E. Barber, of Lancaster, daughter of the Hon. J. 
Allen Barber, one of the most prominent men of the State. He was one of the 
founders of the Republican party in Wisconsin, a leading lawyer, an ardent friend 
of education, and Member of Congress for several years during the reconstruc- 
tion period. 

Mr. and Mrs. Eaton spent a year abroad, during which time he studied in 
the universities of Leipsic and Heidelberg. On their return he was called to the 
pastorate of the Congregational Church of Newton, Iowa, where he was ordained 
to the ministry in December, 1876, and whence he was called to the pastorate of 
the First Congregational Church of Oak Park, Illinois, in 1879. He remained 
with this strong and growing church, closely identified with leading interests and 
organizations of Chicago and vicinity until 1886, when, on the resignation of 
President Chapin, he was unanimously elected to the presidency of Beloit Col- 
lege, of which institution he had been trustee for five years. On the evening of 
November 5, 1886, he was inducted into the presidency of the institution, the ex- 
ercises being of great interest and the speakers including representatives of the 
trustees of the college, the faculty, the alumni, the students, the presidents of 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN' OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 579 



other institutions and representative public men of Wisconsin and Illinois. The 
degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred upon him by the University of Wiscon- 
sin in 1887, and that of Doctor of Divinicy in the same year by the Northwestern 
University, at Evanston, Illinois. 

Various and pressing problems called for the best activities of the new presi- 
dent. In the new conditions prevailing in the educational world and in the rapid 
material development of the region, it was indispensable to its large, permanent 
success that the college should enter upon an era of enlargement, extending its 
courses of study and increasing its faculty proportionately, and securing largely 
increased equipment in buildings and apparatus. Strenuous efforts were put 
forth to accomplish these results, and the progress of the college during the past 
seven years has been marked and most gratif3ang to its friends. .In the spring 
of 1889 Dr. D. K. Pearsons, of Chicago, made the proposition to give the college 
S 100,000 if its friends would raise $ioo,ooo more within six weeks. The ofifer 
was accepted, great enthusiasm was awakened among its students, alumni and 
other friends of the institution, and within the specified time the necessary amount 
was secured. In the fall of 1889 was laid the corner-stone of Scoville Hall, the 
first of the new buildings of the college. It is built of pressed brick with terra- 
cotta trimmings and brown-stone foundation, the gift of James W. Scoville, Esq., 
of Oak Park, Illinois, a former parishioner of President Eaton. This building 
was completed in the summer of 1890, and in the spring of 1891 the corner-stone 
of the new chapel was laid, — Mrs. Amelia E. H. Doyon, of Madison, .having 
pledged one-half of the amount needed for its construction and the rest being 
subscribed by a large number of the friends of the college. The edifice is one 
of the most perfect college chapels in the country, built of Wauwatosa limestone 
and finished in oak. The beautiful organ, made by Steere & Sons, of Springfield, 
Massachusetts, was the gift of Mrs. Hiram Story, of Milwaukee; the stained-glass 
windows were donated by Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Woodard, of Watcrtown, and 
the rooms for the College Christian Association were fitted u]i by E. G. Graham, 
Esq., of Whitewater, as memorial to his .son. On the same day another corner- 
stone was laid, — that of an extensive dormitory, the building, being constructed 
of pressed brick and completely fitted to the needs of students as to rooms and 
board. At the following commencement, in June, 1892, Dr. D. K. Pearson 
divulged the fact that this building was a gift from him and gave it the name of 
"Chapin Hall, "in honor of the revered and beloved ex-president of the college, 
and he also made another munificent pledge, of s6o,ooo, for the erection of a 
building for physical science, provided $120,000 be raised to be added to it to 
complete the building and endow its work. This condition was successfully met, 
William E. Hale, Esq., of Chicago, one of the board of trustees of the college, 
whose youth had been spent in Beloit, pledging $60,000, one-half of the required 
amount. This building was dedicated in February, 1893, and is one of the most 
complete scientific buildings possessed by any college in the country. During the 



580 BIOGRAPHIC AI. DICTIONARY AND PORTKAI'l' (iALLERV OV THE 

years 1892-3 the building formerly used as the college chapel has been very 
attractively fitted up as an art gallery, largely through the liberality and taste of 
Professor and Mrs. Joseph Emerson, who have had the co-operation of friends 
in various parts of the country in enriching the building with various works of 
art. An athletic held of sixteen acres has recently been given to the college b)' 
one of the alumni. 

During these years of enlargement the board of trustees of the college has 
been- increased to thirty members and strengthened by the accession of leading 
business men and clergymen of Wisconsin and Illinois, especially from Chicago. 
It is now a body remarkable for the ability, energy and ])ublic spirit of its 
members. 

The curriculum ot study in the college has been enriched by the addition of 
many attractive and valuable elective courses. A course of study for the degree 
of Bachelor of Science has been provided, in addition to those leading to the de- 
gree of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Philosophy. The number of students 
has doubled within the past few years, the faculty has been greatly enlarged, the 
property of the college has increased nearly three-fold, valuable apparatus and 
collections have been acquired, and affiliations have been formed with high schools 
and other institutions of secondary education in the region. The faculty of the 
college are thoroughly harmonious in aim and method, working together with 
enthusiasm and devotion to secure in their students the best results of scholarh- 
and Christian training. 

President Eaton's spacicus home, on College avenue, is always open to the 
students and friends of the college, and there his wife unites with him in extend- 
ing its warmest hospitality to all. Of their six children, the son is a member of 
the senior class in the jireparatory department of the college, and the older 
daughters are students in language, music and art. 



ANSON P. WATERMAN, 



'T^HE religious and educational enterprises of Beloit have for many years en- 
-1- joyed the warm friendship of one of the city's most esteemed citizens, and 
since his appearance in Beloit, there has been no movement of note, tending to 
dispel ignorance, ameliorate poverty or free humanity from the bondage of in- 
temperance, in which he has not been an interested and prime mover. 

I he Waterman laniily is of English descent, and settled in America many 
years previous to the Revolutionary war. The paternal grandfather of Mr. Water- 







r^ 



/^^Zm-^ i^/f-^ "^ 



^ 



REPRESKNTATIVK MKS OK THE I'MTED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 583 

man served in the war for independence and was commissioned Lieutenant Col- 
onel by Governor George Clinton, of New York, on June i6, 1778, the original 
papers being still in the possession of the family. David Waterman, father of 
the subject of this sketch, also served his country when necessity demanded, and 
had command of an artillery company during the war of 18 12. He was a farmer 
by occupation, and possessed a deeply religious nature, which won for him the re- 
spect of all who knew him. His devoted wife, whose maiden name was Phoebe 
W. I lollister, also a descendant from an old and honored family, was likewise 
strongly imbued with religious principles, and their influence left an imprint on all 
who enjoyed their friendship, as well as on the life of their son, which time has never 
eftaced. 

By birth Mr. Waterman is a New Yorker, but in all that pertains to the ad- 
vancement of his adopted cit\', he is a t3'pical Westerner. He was born January 
15, 18 19, at South Ballston, Saratoga county. New York, where he received his 
education in the common schools of that town, remaining; at huinc until he reached 
the age of twelve years. Feeling then the necessit3'of earning his own livelihood, 
he sought and obtained employment in a country store near his hom.e, where he 
spent five years, during which time he attended school whenever occasion per- 
mitted. At the age of seventeen Mr. Waterman became a clerk in a hardware 
store in Schenectady, where he served four years, mastering many of the details 
of the business, which in all stations of life make the difference between success 
and failure. Having attained his majority Mr. Waterman engaged in the hard- 
ware business at Phelps, Ontario county, New York, which he successfully con- 
ducted until his removal to Beloit, Wisconsin, in 1854, where he resumed the same 
line of business. In 1866 a change was effected in the enterprise, Mr. J. B. Cior- 
don joining the firm, which became Waterman & Gordon, and thus continued with 
uninterrupted success until 1880. when Mr. Waterman sold his interest to his 
partner, and retired temporarily from active business interests in the city of Beloit. 
In 1866 Mr. Waterman became interested in the heavy-hardware business in 
St. Louis, Missouri, and wasoncof the partners of the firm of Waterman Brothers & 
Company, afterward Waterman & Campbell. Without severing his ties in Beloit, 
Mr. Waterman went to St. Louis in 1876, where he remained until 1889, when he 
disposed of his business interests in the firm, and once more returned to Beloit, 
which he has always claimed as his home. 

W^ith the termination, in 1889, of Mr. Waterman's business connection with 
the firm of Waterman & Campbell, he rounded out a business experience in the 
hardware trade of half a century, lacking one year. He had been for forty-nine 
years actively engaged in that line of trade in one way or another, and is justly 
proud of his record as a business man. It is true he has experienced various and 
heavy losses, but it is equally a fact that his business energy and tact have brought 
him safely through difficulties which would have hampered another man of less 
sagacity and determination. His commercial integrity and high standing have 



584 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

been preserved unaffected by the changes and fluctuations in the business world, 
and he now stands as a shining example of what honorable methods and business 
worth can accomplish. 

Aside from his active commercial career Mr. Waterman has held many promi- 
nent positions, which testified to the utmost the confidence entertained in his trust- 
worthiness, efficiency and energy. Since the organization, in 186 1, of that marvel 
among corporations, the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Mil- 
waukee, Mr. Waterman has been one of its trustees, and he is now serving his 
thirty-third year in that capacity. He has witnessed its growth from an insignifi- 
cant beginning to its present position of importance, unexcelled and scarcely equaled 
in the country. He also served five years as a trustee of the State Insane Asy- 
lum, at Madison, until the reorganization of the charitable institutions of the State 
of Wisconsin. 

In politics Mr. Waterman has affiliated with the Republican party since its 
inception in 1856, although he previously voted the Democratic ticket. He is not 
in any sense a politician, and has never sought public office; but has nevertheless 
been twice called upon to fill the Mayoralty of Beloit, first in 1857, and by re-elec- 
tion in 1858. He was for more than twenty years a member of the Board of Edu- 
cation of Beloit, and only retired from that responsible position because his busi- 
ness interests in St. Louis required his presence in that distant city. 

The depth of religious feeling, so conspicuous in his parents, is manifest in 
the son. He is a devout Presbyterian, and has been for many years a leading 
member and prominent officer in the First Presbyterian Church of Beloit, and is 
connected with the Presbytery of Madison. 

It is, however, to the Beloit College that Mr. Waterman gives his best ser- 
vices. He is a firm believer in the destiny of that institution, and has since 1856 
been a member of its board of trustees, cind he acted as its treasurer from 1869 
to 1877, when, on leaving Beloit, he turned the financial affairs of this institution 
over to others. Shortly after his return, however, he was again chosen its treas- 
urer, and since 1889 to the present time has been of invaluable service to the col- 
lege. He is one of the oldest trustees on the board, and it is gratifying to him to 
see its wonderful growth. The business or financial department of collegiate man- 
agement is by no means the easiest, and it is at times the most important task 
connected with such an institution. He has faithfully attended to its interests for 
more than thirty-seven years, and richly deserves the praises he receives and the 
esteem in which he is held. 

Mr. Waterman is in private life a most genial and companionable man. He 
has an interesting family. He was married qn December 31, 1840, to Miss Jennie 
A. Hubbell, and they have three daughters: Belle, wife of Bradley D. Lee, Esq., 
a prominent lawyer of St. Louis, Missouri; Annie, married to Mr. C. E. Whit- 
man, also of St. Louis, where he is engaged in the manufacturing business; and 
Jennie S., wife of Mr. C. S. Gregory, of Beloit, Wisconsin. 



KKTRKSENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOIAMIC. 585 

Mr. Waterman's personal tastes are quiet and domestic. His life has been 
one ot constant activity. He is a strong advocate ot temperance as against the 
saloon element. He is a man of broad views, and kindly disposition, displaying a 
spirit of true Christianity, with which he is animated. No one can say that Mr. 
Waterman ever did him any wrong, and it may be truthfully written of him, 
"He is just and generous in all things." 



LEMANDO F. JOHNSTON, 



LEMAXDO FULLER JOHNSTON, a leading citizen of Superior, Wiscon- 
sin, and prominent as a lumberman and railroad contractor in the North- 
west, was born in the village of Highland, Sullivan county, New York, September 
5, 1839. His father. Napoleon B. Johnston, was a successful businessman and 
honored resident of Highland, and was canal superintendent. He died in 1884, 
at the advanced age of seventy-eight years. The mother of our subject, Esther 
(Wilson) Johnston, also came of a famil}- notable for its longevity, and departed 
this life, in 1892, at the venerable age of eighty-one years. 

The educational advantages which were granted our subject were above the 
average. He first attended the common or public schools of the neighborhood 
where he was born, receiving there instruction in the rudimentary lines of an Eng- 
lish education, and later he entered the Hudson River Institute, an academic .school 
at Claverack, Columbia county, New York, where he was a student in the depart- 
ment of civil engineering, graduating in i860. Immediately after completing his 
technical education Mr. Johnston entered business upon the Delaware river, engag- 
ing in the manufacture ot lumber. This enterprise was jirojected and continued 
until 1869. The tales of phenomenal business successes attamcd about that time in 
the oil regions of western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio attracted large numbers of 
prospectors and speculators into the prolific oil fields, and it is, therefore, not 
strange that we find our subject imbued at this time, as were many other young 
men, with the idea that here was afforded the opportunity of realizing a fortune 
within a brief interval. Closing out his business on the Delaware, Mr. Johnston 
entered the oil regions with a considerable sum of money, but without experience 
in this line of operation.s. It is perhaps needless to say that the exchange of the 
t'vo elements was soon effected and that he retired with sufficient experience, but 
with finances reduced to a minimum. He entered the business of oil refining, — 
an industry which was at the time in its initial stage of its development. The en- 
terprise was not an unqualified success, and this fact, as taken in connection with 



586 BIOGRAnilCAL DICTIONARV AND TORTRATT GALLERY OF THE 



the extreme speculation which in those exciting days was sure to follow, soon showed 
to him conclusively that the oil business was not one which would aid him to that 
measure of financial success for which he strove and which he was determined to 
acquire; nor was tho business at all in accord with his natural tastes and inclina- 
tions. 

In 1873, Mr. Johnston returned to his home, where he again engaged in that line 
of business with whose details he was thoroughly conversant. His lumber business 
could always be depended upon to yield him a satisfactory proht upon his invest- 
ment, and that line of enterprise, conjoined with farming, soon brought him out of 
the precarious financial condition in which his speculative ventures had placed him. 
Our subject [remained in the East for seven years after leaving the Pennsylvania 
oil fields, when the impaired health of his wife compelled him to seek a change of 
dimate. Acting under medical advice he left the State of New York in 1880, and 
moved to Galena, Illinois, where he engaged in contracting on the Chicago & 
Northwestern Railroad, which was then in process of construction. Here he re- 
mained until the fall of 1881, when he removed to Superior, Wisconsin, in order 
to be near the seat of railroad operations in which he sought an interest. His first 
venture here undertaken was in the organization of the Chicago, Portage & Supe- 
rior Railroad Company, and in taking the initial steps toward the development of 
the line, ol which he subsecpiently became assistant superintendent. Realizing 
the financial weakness of the corporation, Mr. Johnston refused to accept contracts 
for work, and consequently, when the company went into liquidation soon after, he 
emerged from the experience without any pecuniary loss. 

Within the same year (1882) Mr. Johnston took a contract on the line now 
known as the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad, which was com- 
pleted in a few months. The following year he contracted upon the construction 
of the Northern Pacific Railroad; in 1886 upon the Great Northern, and in 1892 
constructed eleven miles of the Daluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad. Simul- 
taneously with his many railroad enterprises, Mr. Johnston carried on an extensive 
lumber maiiuiacturing industry in nt)rthern Wisronsin, and in this line he is still 
operating. The principal output of his factories has been in the production of 
piling, and the aggregate product for one year in this line has reached the enor- 
mous amount of 45,000 sticks. He has also taken man}' outside contracts and has 
just completed the work of a S-15,000 sewer contract, and a $80,000 paving con- 
tract, in addition to eleven miles of railroad. 

Mr. Johnston's entrance upon that singularly successful career which has 
brought him recognition as one of the leading capitalists of the Northwest, maybe 
said to have dated from his leaving the oilfields of Pennsylvania. Since that time 
he has attended strictly to a business in which he is an acknowledged leader. He 
has brought to his business as a contractor an untiring energy, a thorough com- 
prehension of details and an unswerving integrity of purpose. 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 587 



Mr. Johnston lias always been a prime factor in furthering' the interests of an)' 
enterprise in which he has become concerned; he has never allowed him.self to be- 
come entan^ded in partnership associations which could not be dissolved at a mo- 
ment's notice, and under his supervision and advice all contracts have been 
promptly and faithfully fulfilled. 

Our subject has not limited his field of usefulness within narrow personal con- 
fines, but has ever stood ready to aid his adopted city in all her enterprises and 
public improvements, and at the present time he has in holding much valuable 
local realty. The city at the head of navigation was at once recognized by Mr. 
Johnston as possessing exceptional advantages and much promise for future 
growth, and that he has been successful in his investments and enterprises must 
be conceded to be the result of his own knowledge and discrimination. In 1888, 
when the matter of organizing the Bank of Superior first came up for considera- 
tion, he became one of the prime movers in the enterprise, and since the organi- 
zation of the bank he has held the official positions of vice-president and director 
in the same, — this incumbency covering a period of more than ten consecutive 
years. Upon the organization of the Superior Board of Trade, in 1886, he was 
chosen as president of the same, and he held this position until 1S02, when he 
summarily refused to be retained in office, desiring that the younger members 
should assume the burden of the responsibility which he had so long borne. In 
1887, when the first village board was organized, Mr. Johnston became its President, 
and in 1888, when the city charter was granted to Superior, he was elected as 
the representative of his ward in the Common Council, and as such served for 
two years. 

Mr. Johnston's marriage was consummated December 24. 1861, when he was 
united to Mi.ss Hannah J. Decker. They became the parents of three daughters, 
namely: Lou, who is the wife of Dr. John Baird, of Superior; Nellie, wife of T. 
B. Smith, of this city; and Miss Lottie, who remains at the parental home. 

Our subject is a Republican in politics, but has never figured as a politician in 
any sense. He has never sought political office, and all honors which his fellow 
citizens have bestowed on him have been entirely unsolicited, and have been ac- 
corded him as a mark of confidence and respect which have been reposed in him. 
He believes that it is the duty of every man to perform the work which citizen- 
zenship imposes, and to see that honest men are elected to office and then made 
to perform the duty which they owe by reason of such preferment. He has man- 
ifested a particular taste for and appreciation of travel, and has visited many por- 
tions of the United States and Canada. 

A gentleman who has intimately known Mr. Johnston since his advent in Su- 
perior pays him the following high tribute : "Especially is he considerate of the 
feelings of others; he cheerfully aids all by his advice and assistance, and has 
shown himself a real friend of the young people. His private life is pure and sim- 
ple, — no taint of dishonor or dishonesty has ever touched him. His word is better 



588 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

than his bond, and he always speaks with kindness to all. Envy and kindred 
qualities are foreign to his nature, and I have never known him to do a little act or 
unkind deed. He lives in his palatial home in old Superior, — a home whose con- 
struction he personally superintended. His actions are those of a perfect gentle- 
man, and he can always be depended upon as a man of his word." 



WELCOME HYDE, 

APPLETON. 

WELCOME HYDE is a native of the Green Mountain State, having been 
born at Milton, Chittenden county. May 23, 1824. His parents were Eli 
and Mary (Campbell) Hyde, who trace their ancestry, both lineal and collateral, 
through several generations of Americans. 

His grandfather, Eliachim Hyde, was born about 1720, and the father of 
Welcome was born in 1770. Our subject was reared in his native State until 
about eleven years of age, when his father, who was engaged in lumbering on the 
shores of Lake Champlain, moved to Ohio, and located near the city of Cleveland. 
Here our subject remained for several years, working for his father and attending 
the district school. Later he attended the Rock River Institute at Mount Morris, 
Illinois, for a year, but owing to ill health was compelled to leave. 

With the idea of benefitting his health, he started, in 1847, ^o"^ Wisconsin, and 
entered the pine regions, where he met and renewed an acquaintance, begun in 
the East, with Honorable Philetus Sawyer. 

Mr. Hyde almost immediate!}' set out into the woods and commenced locat- 
ing pine lands for Mr. Sawyer. In fact, up to ten or fifteen years ago, nearly all 
of Mr. Sawyer's land had been located by Mr. H3'de, and it may be here stated 
that no man now living has located as many acres of pine land as he, the number 
of acres of which will probably approximate a million. 

Mr. Hyde also located pine lands for himself to a large e.xtent, and thus laid 
the foundation of his present competency. He also invested largely in city real 
estate, but the profits realized from the latter investments were insignificant com- 
pared with that of his timber land. 

In February, 1862, Mr. Hyde organized a company, of which he was elected 
Captain, and which was mustered in as Company K, Seventeenth Wisconsin Vol- 
unteer Infantry. The regiment joined the army after the battle of Pittsburgh 
Landing, and our subject continued to serve with it until September, 16, 1862, 
when ill health compelled him to resign from the service. 




M/, 



(jf, X-<lt>-nyty^ 



REl'RESENTATIVK MEN OF THE LNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 59 1 

Politically Mr. Hyde is a Republican, but never held a public ofllkc. nor 
would he accept one. In his religious faith he is a member of the Presbyterian 
Church. 

Mr. Hyde has traveled quite extensively in this country, and has lieen in 
cver\ State excepting Delaware, California and Nevada. He has also made a 
trip to British Columbia, and made the circuit of Vancouver's island in a canoe, 
looking at pine lands. 

Mr. Hvde was married, in 184S, to Miss Sarah Markley, at Paris, Illinois. 
They have had three children : D. M. Hyde, associated with his father; F. M. 
Hyde, who is a general merchant and sawmill operator at Bear Creek, and 
bVances, the wife of James Simpson, who died November 11, 1893, leaving three 
children: Earl, Lee and Ethel. The cause of her death was consumption, which 
for many months had been making inroads upon her strength and vitality. The 
Appleton Post, in speaking of Mrs. Simpson's many excellent (]ualities of mind 
and heart, said: "She had tor many years been a memljer of the Presbyterian 
Church, and exemplified in her life the rules of Christian conduct to which she 
gave affectionate acceptance. She left the world without dread, but in lull faith 
of the things laid up for those who worthily fulfill their probation here. She was 
supported through her long illness by the unvarying tenderness of her parents, 
through whose loving ministrations everything possible was done to make smooth 
the declining pathway of her life. To them her death comes as a grief which 
time can never heal." 

Cajitain Hyde, as he is called by his acquaintances, is a tht)roughly self-made 
man. When he came to Wisconsin he was practically penniless, and the accu- 
mulations that he has made have been solely the result of hard work and steady 
application. 

Personally, he is liberal and kind hearted, and many men in Inisiness to-day 
owe their advancement to the generosity of Welcome Hyde. 



HON. ALLEN PENLILLD HARWUUD, 

RII'ON. 

AM1-.1\1C.\ has few families of greater anti(|uity than the Harwood and Pen- 
field families. Of the ancestry of the Harwood family little is known be- 
yond the fact that it originated in old England during the early colonial days in 
the seventeenth century. It is known, however, that the grandfather of our sub- 
ject, Eleazer Harwood, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and participated 
in the expedition which resulted in the capture of b'ort Ticondcroga by the Ameri- 
can forces. 



592 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OP THE 



In 1870, Eleazer Harwood moved from Bennington and settled at Pittsford, 
Vermont. He was born at Harwick, Massachusetts, about the year 1737. 
Though limited in early advantages, by diligence and perseverance he acquired a 
good English education, and possessed a vigorous and well-balanced mind, coupled 
with ardent puritanic piety. He was active in organizing the church at Pittsford, 
and was chosen to fill the pulpit, where he formerly had been one of the most in- 
fluential Deacons. He prosecuted his ministerial labors with earnestness and de- 
votion, and died May 19, 1807, much beloved by all who knew him. His eldest 
son, Eleazer Harwood, the father of our subject, was a lad when he came to 
Vermont. There he grew to manhood, and was of the same strict religious na- 
ture as his father. He became a manufacturer, and was a leading business man of 
the community where he resided. When he attained his majority he married 
Miss Abigail Penfield, a daughter of John Penfield, of Pittsford, Vermont. The 
latter was a native of Connecticut, born at Fairfield, November 5, 1747. He also 
served in the Revolutionary war, and came to Pittsford in 1796. 

The intertexture of the Harwood and Penfield families is so close that there 
is scarcely a time since their removal to Pittsford that they were not united by 
ties of marriage and close business relations. Several years after the marriage 
of Eleazer Harwood and Abigail Penfield, the parents of Allen P. Harwood 
moved to Ticonderoga, Essex county. New York State, where they resided until 
the time of their death, and where our subject was born on October 25, 1818. 
The father died at the age of fort)'-five, September 19, 1825, but his mother lived 
until the age of eighty-eight years. The early life of our subject was spent in 
his native State, where he received a liberal education. He received his primary 
education in the common schools, and afterward became a student of the sem- 
inary at Castleton, Vermont, where he remained about three years. Upon leav- 
ing Castleton Seminary Mr. Harwood formed business connection, first as employe 
and later as a member, of the firm of Allen Penfield & Son, at Crown Point, New 
York. The senior member of this firm was Mr. Harwood's maternal uncle. The 
firm was engaged in the lumber business, and Mr. Harwood remained in the same 
line through his entire business career. The firm soon after also engaged in iron- 
mining and in manufacturing, which supplemented the lumber business as the 
timber became exhausted. This branch became very extensive, and the firm be- 
came possessed of very important mining interests. For many years the busi- 
ness was carried on on an extensive and profitable scale, and when the industry 
had reached the highest notch, in the years following the civil war, the firm sold 
its entire business to the Delaware & Lackawanna IruDn Company. Previous to 
this time Mr. Harward had felt the desire to partially retire from active business, 
and in 1S73 he made a trip over the greater part of the Northwestern States in 
search of a place of residence, which would combine educational advantages for 
his family with an eventual business future for his children. He visited Ripon 
several times and bought the old Brockway farm, of seventy acres, which is now 



REPRESENTATIVK MEN OE THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOIAME. 



within the city limits. While Mr. Harwood did retire from business his natural 
busy disposition could not be contented with a life of idleness. The pickle fac- 
tory, located at Ripon, was at that time in a verv indifferent condition and any 
thing but a financial success. Mr. Harwood purchased an interest, and the l\ipi)n 
Packing Company was put on a sound hnancial tootiui:;. Its success was gratify- 
ing under the presidency of Mr. Harwood, and it is now being managed by Mr. 
llarwood's eldest son, Daniel Van Ness Harwood, who is also its secretary and 
treasurer. About 1886 Mr. Harwood became interested in the First National 
Bank of Ripon, and was its vice president until the time of his death. He also 
bought an interest in the .Vppleton Woolen Mills, at Appleton, Wisconsin, which 
are now under the sole management of his youngest son, Frank J. Harwood. 
The farm upon which Mr. Harwood settled when he first came to Ripon has never 
been sui)divided and is yet the home of the family. Many improvements and 
careful cultivation have made the farm an ideal home and beautiful residence 
place. 

While residing at Crown Point, New York, Mr. Harwood was united in 
marriage, October 11, 1843, to Miss Ann H. Penfield. his cousin, and the daugh- 
ter of his uncle, employer and business associate, Allen Penfield. Their union 
was one of perfect contentment and was blessed with eight children, four of whom 
are living: Daniel Van Ness, who married Miss Kate Murphy, ot Crown Point, 
New York; Charles Lauren, who.se wife was formerly Miss Fannie J. Pitkin, of 
Montpelier, Vermont, is the manager of the firm at Ripon; Mary Emma is the 
wife of Professor George Carlton Duffie, who was formerly professor, and for 
twelve years assistant treasurer, of the Ripon College, but who is now engaged in 
business at St. Paul, Minnesota, though retaining his residence at Ripon, Wiscon- 
sin; and Frank fames Harwood, of Appleton, Wisconsin. 

In early life, Mr. Harwood was a supporter of the Whig party, and cast his 
first presidential vote for William Henry Harrison, in 1840. It was his privilege 
to be one of the State Electors for the grandson of the Tippecanoe hero in 1884. 
While never a politician in any sense of the word, he was pronounced in his politi- 
cal opinions and a warm advocate of the doctrines of the Republican party, in 
whose growth and success he felt a deep interest. He was twice induced to be- 
come the Mayor of Ripon, and discharged his duties with promptness and fidelity, 
lie was prominent in the promotion of all public enterprises, a friend to all social, 
educational and moral interests and a leader in all public affairs, seeking to alle- 
viate mi.sery,and to raise the social standard through greater religious liberty and 
moral development. His nature was strongly tempered by his early training and 
surroundings, and his whole life showed how deeply rooted were the precepts he 
then imbibed. They made him a man of principle, and principle was the gov- 
erning power of his life. He never had a doubt as to right or wrong, and acted 
the right most religiously. Though a member of the Congregational Church and 
a strong believer in the divinity of the holy scriptures, his religion contained no 



594 BIOGRAPIIICAI, DICTIONARY ANIJ FOKTKAIT GALLERY OF THE 



bigotry of sect, no cant. He had no faith in a religion which was not entirely 
cheerful and tolerant. He believed in organized efforts, and that church socie- 
ties could accomplish more than individual eflort. His charities have always l)een 
of the most ([uiet and unostentatious sort, and within a few years he gave away 
many thousand dollars without a comment outside oi those directlv interested. 
It is impossible to give a list of Mr. Harwood's many acts of benevolence, as he 
always demanded absolute silence on that subject, but the following are the most 
prominent of the beneficiaries: The Union Park Theological Seminary of Chicago. 
Illinois, of which he was a trustee for many years; the American Mission Asso- 
ciation, in which he was particularly interested; and the Ripon College, at Ripon, 
Wisconsin. He never gave extremeh' large sums at any one time, but whenever 
anyone needed particular and immediate help the money was usually forthcom- 
ing; and it is supposed that his charities exceeded his income. Though he was in 
no way aggressive, as that term is commonly understood, his mind once made up, 
he would defend his views with vigor and earnestness and generally succeeded in 
impressing them upon others. 

He died at his home in Ripon, December 30, 1893, survived by his faithful 
wife and loving children. His death revealed to the sorrowing family how manv 
friends he had won for himself through his sterling character and intellectual 
worth, and its announcement brought to every one who knew him a feeling of 
personal loss. 



GENERAL FREDERICK C. WINKLER, 

MILWAL KEE. 

FREDERICK C. WINKLER has been a resident of Milwaukee for half a 
centur\. He was born in Bremen, Germany, March 15, 1838. His par- 
ents, Carl and Elizabeth Winkler nee Overbeck, were both descended from highly 
respected families. In 1842 Carl Winkler emigrated to the United States and 
settled in Milwaukee, where he entered the drug business. Two years later his 
wife and children, including his oldest son, the subject of this sketch, joined him 
in his new home. The boy was sent to school, and under the tuition of Professor 
Engelman he obtained a practical knowledge of those branches taught the boys 
of that time. He commenced his law studies in the office of H. L. Palmer. Two 
years later he removed to Madison, where he continued to study in the office of 
Messrs. Abbott, Gregory & Pinney. He was admitted to the bar at Madison on 
April 19, 1859. He then returned to Milwaukee and began the practice of his 
profession, meeting with success from the outset. In 1862. inspired by patriot- 





; y-ih. 



7^ 




^ 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WTSCOXSIX VOLUME. 597 



ism, he determined to offer his services to the Government. Even at that time, 
though but a youth, he stood high in the esteem of his fellow citizens, and suc- 
ceeded in raising a company of volunteers, which became enrolled in the Twenty- 
sixth Wisconsin Regiment. Young Winkler was elected Captain of his company, 
and with his regiment participated in some of the most important engagements 
of the war. On October 6, 1862, the regiment left the State for the front, going 
to Washington, and thence to Fairfax Court House to be assigned to the Eleventh 
.\rmy Corps under General Sigel. 

The abilities of Captain Winkler were utilized in the capacity of Judge Advo- 
cate in successive Courts Martial through the winter and spring. He went into 
the spring campaign, took part in the battle of.Chancellorsville in May, 1863, and 
the battle of Gettysburg, July, 1863, being attached to the Staff of General 
Schurz, Division Commander. 

Immediately after the latter battle Captain Winkler returned to service with 
the regiment. Both the Lieutenant-Colonel and the Major had been wounded, 
and Captain Winkler was the ranking officer present for duty next to the Colonel. 
The regiment was shortly afterward transferred to the West, joining the Army of 
the Cumberland at Bridgeport, Alabama, in October, 1863. On the^ ch of No- 
vember, 1863, the Colonel left the regiment, and from that time on to the close 
of the war our subject was in command of the Twenty-sixth Regiment, being 
gradualh promoted to the rank of Colonel. He accompanied his command under 
General Hooker to the relief of the Army of the Cumberland, and was in the 
fighting at Wauhatchie, October 27. He fought at the head of his men three 
days, November 23, 24 and 25, at Mission Ridge; joined in the pursuit of the re- 
treating rebels; then joined the expedition for the relief of Burnside at Knoxville. 
In the spring of 1864 the Twenty-sixth Wisconsin was assigned to the Third 
Brigade of the Third Division ot the newly organized Twentieth Corps under 
Major-General Hooker. The regiment took part in the four months' campaign 
to Atlanta, with its many skirmishes and battles, and won reputation as a first- 
class fighting regiment. 

I'Vom Atlanta it marched with Sherman to the sea, thence across the Caro- 
linas to Goldsboro, taking prominent part in the battles of Averysboro and Ben- 
lonville. From Goldstwro, by way of Raleigh, Richmond and Washington, where 
it participated in the "grand review,' the regiment proceeded to Milwaukee, where 
it was mustered out June 28, 1865. In the adjustment of honors after the close 
of the war. Colonel Winkler was brevetted Brigadier General of Volunteers by 
the War Department. 

He resumed the practice of his profession immediately after being mustered 
out of the service. In 1867 he formed a partnership with Mr. A. R. R. Butler, 
which continued until 1874, when the firm of Jenkins, Elliott & Winkler was' 
organized. Mr. A. A. L. Smith afterward became a partner, and still later Mr. 



BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 



E. P. Vilas was admitted to the firm. Upon the appointment of Hon. James G. 
Jenkins as a United States District Judge, the present firm of Winkler, Flanders, 
Smith, Bottum & Vilas was organized. 

In |)()lilics General Winkler is a stanch Republican. 

In 1SO4 he married Miss Frances M. Wightman, by whom he has six daugh- 
ters and three sons. 



MONS ANDERSON, 

LA CROSSE. 

MONS ANDERSON was born at Valders. Norway. June 8, 1830. and is the 
oldest of the children of Anders and Mary (Knudson) Anderson, both 
natives of that countr}'. The father was a farmer and died when our subject was 
but a lad. Mons acquired his education in the srhools of his native village, but 
his attendance thereat was limited to the short space of a few years. Hearing of 
the United States and the many opportunities afiorded to those who are ambi- 
tious to succeed and to advance in life, he resolved to emigrate to this country and 
make it his future home. Having determined upon this course he bade adieu to 
his family and friends and sailed for America. 

Upon his arrival he at once started out for the great West, his objective point 
being Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at which place he was so fortunate as to secure a 
situation with Hon. Daniel Wells, jr., who still, though in his eighty-seventh 
year, is onv of the most active and prominent men in the Cream Citw Mr. Wells 
at that time was proprietor of the City Hotel, and our subject remained in his 
employ through the three succeeding years, two ot which he was a student at 
Prof. Balk's .school. Afterward, he for one year filled the position of salesman 
in the grocery store of Herbert Reed, to the eminent satisfaction of his employer 
and winning many friends among the customers, but he had not come to America 
to spend his time at clerking, and so, casting around tor a location, he decided in 
favor of La Crosse, — then a small but flourishing village with bright prospects of 
future commercial importance, — for he had observed that in the older and larger 
cities it was necessary to have capital in order to achieve success; and his capital 
consisted mainly of common sense and industry, which he thought would bring 
greater returns in a small place. 

It was in 1851 that he located in La Crosse, first engaging as clerk in the 
store of S. T. Smith, by whom he wis soon taken into partnership. He later 
formed a partnership with W. W. Ustick, which association continued for a year. 
Then for some vears he was alone; after that S. E. Olson was associated with 



REPRESENTATIVE MKN uh THE UNITED STATES ; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 599 



him for two years, ami wIumi that connection was dissolved he a,<;ain conduclc^d his 
business without a partner. In 1885 his two sons were taken into partnership and, 
under the firm name of Mens Anderson & Sons, continued on its prosperous 
career. His elder son, Alfred H., possessed large interests in what was at that 
time Washington Territory, and disposed of his interest at La Crosse in order to 
give his personal attention to his Western properties, withdrawing from the firm 
and moving with his family to Seattle, Washington. Shortly after, the firm was 
changed to a corporation, the title being the Mons Anderson Company, our sub- 
ject becoming its president and his son, Samuel W. , vice president. The latter 
named gentleman has proved the mainstay of his father in the business. The 
company occupies the Anderson Block, at the corner of Main and Second streets 
one of the finest business edifices in the city, and carries- a complete line of everj^. 
thing pertaining to the dry-goods trade. It has been a common remark that in 
proportion to the population of the city wherein it is located, this has been the 
largest establishment of its kind in America; and its founder, who has been in 
active business for forty-three years, is to-day by many years the oldest business 
man on the Mississippi river above Galena. 

The Mons Anderson Company employs at the present time eight traveling 
men, who find a ready market for its goods in the States of Wisconsin, Minnesota^ 
Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and North and South Dakota. In the factory for men's 
wear, operated by the concern, 200 hands are employed, and throughout the en- 
tire establishment every department evinces neatness and order, strict business 
methods and thoroughness of system. 

At one time Mr. Anderson conducted, in addition to his wholesale business, a 
retail dry goods and millinery and a retail clothing business, and his retail dry- 
goods and millinery business was the second largest in the State. It is one of his 
characteristics that he always wants his customers and visitors to be agreeably dis- 
appointed and find his business much more extensive than he represents it, and 
more so than they expect. At an early day he determined to have strictly one 
price for his goods and to treat all alike. His adherence to this resolution is one 
of the chief causes of his success. The increasing business oi the wholesale 
establishment rendered it necessary that some of the minor interests be discontin- 
ued, and this was done in 1885 by closing out the retail departments. 

Mr. Ander.son attributes his success in a measure to the fact that when begets 
trustworthy employes he manages to retain them in his service, and at the present 
time there are several who have been with him from twenty to thirty years. 

He was married July 22, 1853, to Miss Jane Halvorsen, and of this union 
have been born four children: Mary, now Mrs. Bunn; Alfred H. and Samuel W., 
previously mentioned; and Emma, who is now Mrs. Crosby. 

Mr. Anderson has not only witnessed the growth of La Cros.se from the mere 
hamlet to the beautiful city it now is, but has actively participated in all that per- 
tained to its matured advanienuiU. lie has built u]) a business which is an honor 



600 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



to himself and a credit to the city. As the city has grown and competitors have 
entered and failed, he has maintained his superior position in commercial circles 
by the merits of his goods, and his uniformly courteous and honorable dealing. 
He is a man of positive conviction, of marked characteristics and unusual ability. 
While his life has been one of busy usefulness its cares have set lightly upon him, 
for he retains his youthful vigor and activity in a marked degree. Courteous alike 
to customers, employes and strangers, he is the highest type of the genuine Ameri- 
can business man and gentleman, whom to know is a pleasure. 

He is a liberal contributor to those enterprises which are calculated to benefit 
his city either morally or intellectually. During the forty-three years he has been 
in business he has seen the various money panics and financial crises that have 
from time to time swept over the country, yet they have never affected him, and 
his credit and financial standing have remained unshaken through them all. He 
was ever the master of the situation, and while commercial enterprises throughout 
the country succumbed to the existing conditions, Mr. Anderson has always been 
able to meet all obligations, — a tower of strength in the midst of the general and 
widespread depression. 



FRANK A. FLOWER, 

SUPERIOR. 

FRANK ABIAL FLOWER, of Superior, eldest son of Lothrop Truman and 
Sarah Titus Flower, was born at Cottage, New York, May ii, 1855. His 
ancestors settled on Block Island, off Rhode Island, in 1634, but have since run 
mostly to girls. He was educated at the Fredonia Normal School, Gowanda 
Institute and Staats' Latin School; studied law, but practiced only a short 
time for the reason that he "could not wait for the troubles, misfortunes and 
crimes of his fellowmen to bring him business." 

He helped to lay the first successful petroleum pipe fine in Pennsylvania and 
invented the "string" torpedo to explode in the bottoms of choked and exhausted 
oil wells in order to renew their flow. 

In 1874 he settled in Wisconsin, where he has since followed the profession 
of journalism — "except," as he has written, "during a period of suspended anima- 
tion, in which he held office.' He served as Commissioner of Statistics of Wis- 
consin from April, 1883, to February, 1889, when, having helped to organize 
and charter the new city of Superior, he became its first fiscal agent and 
statistician. 

He is the author of books, pamphlets, monographs and magazine articles 
upon almost every conceivable subject except hypnotism and civil service reform, — 



REPRESENTATIVK MKN OF TIIK UNITED STAPHS ; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 603 



histories of Fond du Lac, Waukesha and Milwaukee; "Life of Matt. H. Carpen- 
ter," "Co operation and Profit-Sharing," "Old Abe," "History of the Republican 
Party, ' "Eye of the Northwest" (2 volumes), "Governors of Wisconsin," several 
official reports and hundreds of lesser publications, among them the sketch of 
f-Ion. John C. Spooner in this volume. 

In 1 89 1 he purchased the Superior Leader and made of it confessedly the 
largest daily newspaper establishment and most influential journal on Lake 
Superior, having in the several departments about sixty employes. He is con- 
sidered the Horace Greeley of Wisconsin; a conspicuous example of fearlessness 
and independence in journalism and noted for varied ability, almost unequaled 
individuality of style, ceaseless activity and great public enterprise. 

His hobby is a free, deep-water outlet from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic 
ocean, to obtain which he has carried on one of the most remarkable single-handed 
campaigns on record, traveling several times by water, in all sorts of crafts, from 
the ocean to the head of Lake Superior to take notes and gather information on 
the great project from every available source, and visiting all the lake-board cities 
to enlist their co-operation. He is president of the International Traffic Associa- 
tion and executive secretary and president for this country of the International 
Deep Waterways Association. ' 'To make seaports of all the cities and towns on 
the chain of lakes," he says, "would be an achievement a thousand-fold greater 
and more beneficent than de Lesseps' Suez canal." 

His wile was Miss Mabel Claire Powers, of La Cros.se. They have one child, 
Helen Marie. 

He claims to be the author of four good jokes. 



HON. FRANK MCDONOUGH. 

EAU CLAIRE. 

FR.\NK McDONOUGH, one of Eau Claire's prominent manufacturers and 
the founder of the McDonough Manufacturing Company, was born at In- 
gersoll, Canada, April 2, 1846, and is the .son of Dennis and Rosa McDonough, //^v 
McScoy. During his boyhood he attended the common school in the winter .sea- 
son, spending the summer months on his father's farm. Having mastered the 
rudiments of learning, he finished his .school cour.se at an early age, and learned 
the trade of a millwright. In 1863 Mr. McDonough came to 'VVi.sconsin and settled 
in Eau Claire, where he entered the employ of Chapman & Thorp as a millwright. 
This firm was succeeded by the Eau Claire Lumber Company, with whom he re- 



6o4 BinoRArmcAi, nicrioxARv and portrait oali-ery of thk 

tained his position. He remained in the employ of this concern for more than 
twenty-fiive years, advancing from tlie occupation of a millwright to superintendent 
1)1 the business and part owner ol the valuable tMUer]irise. 

In i8()6 the valuable services rendered tlie compan\- 1)\ the subject of our 
sketch earned tor him his promotion to manager ol the sawmills, and for twentv 
years he continued successfully in that capacity, contributing considerably to the 
financial success of the business. In 1878 he bought an interest in the company, 
and for nearly ten years was one of its directors. In 1888 the entire plant of the 
h^au Claire Lumber Company was sold. As superintendent of the sawmills of 
the Eau Claire I^umbei' Comjiany Mr. McDonough acc]uircd a re))utation tor in- 
genuity and executive al)ilit\- second to none in that line ot busniess in the State 
of Wisconsin. When the busmess ot the Eau C'lairr Lumber Ccuiipany was dis- 
continued he immediately turned his attention to new enterprises, and founded 
the IVIcDonough Manufacturing Company, for the purpose of building and equij)- 
ing sawmills. To that end he commenced, in the tall ot 1888, the erection of 
the extensive shops ot the comjumy on the ])resent site. The object ot the com- 
panv IS to constiuct. not only the machinery tor sawmills, but to erect the entire 
l)lant, including building, etc., and Mr. McDonough's intimate knowledge of the 
reciuirements of a mill made the enterprise a financial success from the outset. 
Though the business is one of the youngest of its kind in existence it is one of the 
largest, and has since its outset received a recognition which is a source of satis- 
faction to its founder. The company, organized with a capital of one hundred 
thousand dollars, has steadily gained in popularity, and has, since its organization, 
erected sawmills in nearly every State in the Union, including some of the largest 
plants in the country. The name ot "McDonough" is favorably known wherever 
lumber is manufactured. The company has a large plant at Eau Claire, which 
gives employment to over one hundred and thirty men. The popularity of the 
company, of which Mr. McDonough is the head, is not alone due to the integrity 
with which it carries out the details in the erection ot plants, but also because of 
the many new inventions and improvements made by our subject in sawmill 
machinery, such as water saw mandrels, gang edgers, automatic gang turners and 
band mills. 

Aside from his connection with the McDonough Manufacturing Company, 
Mr. McDonough is interested in the h^au Claire Street Railway and Light and 
Power Company, and is one of the directors of that corporation. He is also a 
stockholder in the Chippewa Lumber & Boom Company, and he has served as 
president of the Eau Claire Board of Trade. 

He affiliates with the Republican party in politics and has received nuinerous 
honors from the hands of his fellow citizens. For more than twenty-two years he 
has been a member of the School Board, and for eighteen years has served his 
ward in the City Council, while at the present time (1893) he is serving a two years' 
term in the State Assembly. 



REl'KKSKXTATIVE MEN OK TIIK L'MTEL) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 605 

Mr. McDonough was married September 28. 1866 to Miss Jennie Iloran, 
also a native ot Ingersoll, Canada. They are blessed with hve children: Frank 
T. , now assisting his father in his business; Kathrina, Fancy, Gilbert T. and \'iolet. 
Mr. and Mrs. McDonough are members of the Roman Catholic ("liiirch. 

Mr. McDonough 's sole ambition is to excel in his business. To this end he 
h;is labored with all the energy at his comm.and, and has allowed nothing to in- 
terfere with this, his supreme purpose. He has worked with a grit which has ac- 
complished wonders in acquiring the success which he now enjoys, lie is thoroughly 
domestic in all his tastes, and though he has visited most parts of the United 
States, finds hut little recreation in travel. Content with the prosperity of his 
business he seeks no office, and has been chosen to fill his positions simply be- 
cause ot his native ability. He is essentiall}' a business man, and gives freely 
and gratuitously such aid as may be recjuired ot him in beneficent and benevolent 
public movements from a sense of dut\'. There is no vanity in his disposition, 
except it be to do his appointed work well. 



DR. HENR\' J. CONNOR, 

SI I'KKKiR. 

HKNRY JOHN CONNOR, M. D., the leading physician and surgeon of 
Superior, Wi.sconsin, was born at Kilbourn City, Columbia county, Wis- 
consin, and is the son of Thomas and Jane Connor, ncc McCullum. His father 
was a prominent and successful clothing merchant at Kilbourn City, able and 
willing to give his children the best opportunities possible. He is now retired to 
private life. The primary education of our subject was received in the public 
schools of his native town, and was supplemented by a cour.se at St. John's Col- 
lege, at Prairie du Chien, where he graduated in 1879. Immediately upon return 
ing home he began reading medicine under the direction of Dr. Jenkins, al Kil 
bourn City, and proved himself an apt pupil. Soon afterward he entered the 
Rush Medical College at Chicago, Illinois, and graduated with honor in the class 
of 1883. Upon his graduation Dr. Connor left his home and settled at Wilson, 
where he at once secured a lucrative practice. Six months later he moved to 
Boomer, where he successfully pursued his profession for three and a half years, 
receiving almost immediate recognition as a skilled surgeon. During the winter 
of 1886-7, Dr. Conner removed to Superior, Wisconsin, where he has since re- 
sided, and where he has taken his position as the leading physician of the com- 
munity. Besides having built up a large private practice he is also physician for 



6o6 BIOCRAI'IIICAI. mCTIOXARV AND I'OKTKAIT r.AI.LERV OF THE 

many corporations, including the Great Northern Railway, the Eastern Minnesota 
Railway, the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic; St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha, 
Lake Superior Terminal and Transfer Railroad, and the Superior Rapid Tran- 
sit Company. 

Dr. Connor combines excellent executive and administrati\e ability with his 
great professional skill, and these characteristics combined have contributed to 
his success in the supervision of the surgical department of the great corporations 
by whom he is emj)loyed. Dr. Connor is a man of thorough training in his pro 
fession and a leader among the best physicians in northern Wisconsin. His 
practice is very extensive, and among the representative people of Superior. 
He is a man of excellent literary tastes and spends much time among his 
books, and while books dealing with medical and surgical subjects have com- 
manded his close attention, he finds much pleasure in the reading and studv of 
non-professional works. Dr. Connor is much sought after socially, and popular 
as a participant in public and private gatherings. He is agreeable and enter- 
taining in conversation, a ready speaker on many subjects, an excellent presiding 
officer, and one of the most popular men in Superior. He finds much enjovment 
in travel, and has visited most parts of the United States. 

Dr. Connor has been prominently interested in politics, and is a stanch 
supporter of the Republican party. He is in no sense a politician, Init works 
unceasingly in his effort to get the best men into office. He is a man of 
broad views and has the confidence ot all who know him. Dr. Connor is fond of 
social intercourse, and is a member of the Elks, the Knights of Pythias, and for- 
merly also of the Ancient Order of the United Workmen. He also belongs to 
the Wisconsin International Medical .Association. 



BURR W. JONES, 



BURR W. JONES was born at Union, Rock county, Wisconsin, March 9, 1846, 
and is a son of William and Sarah M. (Prentice) Jones, natives respectively 
of western Pennsylvania and western New York. The father died in 1855, and 
the mother afterward married Levi Leonard, a pioneer of Rock county. They 
now reside at Evansville, in that county. Our subject had one sister, who mar- 
ried J. A. Pettigrew, but is now deceased. 

Burr W. Jones spent his early life on a farm, and afterward attended the 
Evansville Seminary. He then entered the University of Wisconsin, at which he 






^^^I^^^^v^^^'^^'^^^-^f^ 



KEPRESEXTATIVK MEN' OK THE INITED STATES; WISCHNSIX VOLUME. 609 

graduated in 1870, and the following )c;ar linished the law course of that university. 
Mr. Jones also taught several winters to assist in defraying his expenses at school. 
.Ifter leaving the university he entered the office of Colonel Vilas. In the winter 
of 1 87 1 -2 he began the practice of his profession at Portage, Columbia county, 
Wisconsin, and a short time afterward formed a partnership with Alden S. San- 
born, of Madison, who was later elected County Judge. This partnership lasted a 
number of years, after which our subject practiced alone until 1874. Since that 
vear he has been associated with General A. C. Parkinson and F. J. Lamb, al- 
though he now has no partner. 

In 187:! Mr. |ones was elected District Attorney of Dane county, on the 
Democrat ticket, which position he held four years. In 1882 he was elected a 
member of Congress for two years, from the old Third Congressional district, 
which was almost hopelessly Republican. In 1884 he was renominated, out was 
defeated, his party being in the minority; but he ran largely ahead of his ticket. 
.\lthough in Congress but a single term, the record shows that he took an active 
part in the debates and public business, and part of the time he was the acting 
chairman of the im.portant committee on War Claims. 

For some years Mr. Jones served as City Attorney of Madison, and for the 
past nine years he has been one of the faculty of the law department in the Wis- 
consin State University, and is now lecturer on Domestic Relations and the Law 
of Evidence and Corporations. During his connection with the law school he has 
been a general favorite with the large number of young lawyers under his instruc- 
tion. 

Mr. Jones was married in December, 1873. to Olive L. Hoyt, a daughter of 
L. W. Hoyt, late of Madison, and to thi sunion has been born one child, Marion 
Burr. 

Except during the time Mr. Jones was in Congress he has always devoted him- 
self to his chosen profession, and has won the reputation of being one of the lead- 
ing lawyers of his State. His experience and skill as a trial lawyer have led to 
his frequent employment in the trial of important cases, some of which have at- 
tracted wide attention and involved large amounts of money. In later years much 
of this litigation has consisted in the prosecution and defense of cases against cor- 
porations. He was engaged in various phases of the controversies concerning the 
valuable Wisconsin land grants, and the contests growing out of them. 

In political campaigns he has been in great demand as a campaign speaker, 
and has often delivered public addresses on other occasions. Our subject was 
the chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic State Convention in 1892, and his name 
has often been mentioned in connection with the Democratic nomination for Gov- 
ernor and other public honors; but he has not encouraged these suggestions. How- 
ever, at the last Congressional convention in his district his name was presented by 
the delegation of his county as their candidate for Congress; but he withdrew from 
the contest. .-Mthough Mr. Jones has been drawn into some prominence in politi- 



bio BKXiRAPHICAI. bICTIONARV AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

cal affairs, he has generally declined political promotion, and his tastes are those of 
the lawyer and student. 

He has always been devoted to the interests of his city, and hardly any 
measures of importance to the community, during the last twenty years, can be 
mentioned with which he has not been identified. 



JOSEPH H. PORTER, 



JOSEPH H. PORTER, son of John and Eunice (Hicks) Porter, was born in 
Oxford county, Maine, March 4, 1826. Through his father and mother he 
inherited the strong and independent characteristics of the Scotch-English race, 
from which his parents both descended. Both the Porter and Hicks families set- 
tled in Massachusetts during the early Colonial days and engaged in farming. 
They, however, later removed to Yarmouth, near Portland, Maine, where the 
parents of our subject were born. The lather was a successful farmer and lum- 
berman in business interests, a careful counsellor in the home, and trained his 
children to habits of morality and rectitude. The educational advantages, how- 
ever, were limited. Joseph H. attended the common school at Paris at such 
times as he was not needed on the tarm, and thus he attained a practical knowl- 
edge of the English branches of learning. From the farms have come many of 
our noblest and most successful men. The life ot a farmer lad generally pro- 
duces a good physical constitution, and there habits of thrift, prudence and sobriety 
are formed. These traits of character have in Mr. Porter been supplemented bv 
a spirit ot enterprise which has pushed him onward into an honorable and useful 
career. 

When our subject reached the age of maturity he left the homestead and 
located in Massachusetts, where he worked on a farm for two years. At this 
time (1847) the Grand Trunk Railroad was under construction, and hoping to 
better his condition, he found employment there as foreman of a gang of men en- 
gaged upon the earth-work of the road. After spending some time on this road 
he began similar work on the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad, on 
which he finished the roadbed ready for the rails. Upon the discovery of gold in 
California, reports began to be received in the East of fortunes in the gulches and 
runs and flats of the newly acquired Territory, waiting only to be claimed. It was 
not strange that a thrill ran through the hearts and minds of many muscular 
toilers in shops and factories and on farms where the labor of years showed small 
and unsatisfactory gains, — or none at all. Mr. Porter, like many other young 



kEPRESENTATIVK MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 6ll 

men, heard of the rich gold digs^inj^s and resolved to try his fortune in the land 
of promise. Therefore, in September, 1852, he went to New York city, where, 
with his limited belongings, he boarded the steamer "Illinois," bound for the 
Golden State, by way of .the isthmus of Panama. In due time he reached San 
Francisco, and an hour after his arrival, with his pick and shovel, he was on his 
way to the diggings, going by way of Sacramento and Stockton. He staked a 
claim on a fork of the American river and for two years worked and lived the life 
of a miner in the early days of California, — not the happy-go-lucky lite evolved 
from the imagination of the novel writers, but a life of hard work, of privation, of 
isolation from all that makes life pleasant, excepting the hope of sometime return- 
ing to the old home with tlie means of rising above the hard necessities of toiling 
for the daily bread. 

In 1854, having what he considered sufficient treasure, Mr. Porter made his 
way to San F'rancisco, where he cashed his gold and at once left for New York and 
home, where, shortly after his return, he was married. 

Having a few thousand dollars and being desirous of investing his money 
profitably, in the fall of that year he moved to the State of Wisconsin, determined 
to engage in the lumbering business. The little village of Oshkosh had become a 
city with a population of about 4,000. It was the seat of an active industry in 
the manufacture of lumber and was feeling its way towards its present position as 
the financial and business center of a large territory. 

In his boyhood Mr. Porter had known something of the lumber business of 
his father, at Paris, Maine. His preparation for the business was only the experi- 
ence of his boyhood, combined with six years of hard work on the farm and the 
railroad, and in "roughing it" in the mining regions of California. Within that 
time he had learned to know and appreciate the value of money, better than one 
who inherited it or to whom it came easily, and he had other qualifications, which 
probably would have made him successful in any business, — a good constitution, 
quiet but untiring energy, and foresight to see and take advantage of opportunities 
which presented themselves. 

To the little city of Oshkosh Mr. Porter went to engage in his chosen occu- 
pation at the age of twenty-nine years. He immediately erected a sawmill, which 
ill-fortune destroyed by fire two years later (1856). The plant was, however, im- 
mediately rebuilt, and the business successfully carried on for many years there- 
after, yuietly and unostentatiously he pursued his business. His close atten- 
tion to and sagacious management of his undertaking insured its success, and Mr. 
Porter began to be known as a man in whom confidence was not misplaced, fair 
and honorable in all his dealings and true to all his obligations. 

The details from year to year of the operations and growth of such a busi- 
ness as his need not be enlarged upon. It would be but a continued narrative of 
clo.se application, economy, prudence and good judgment and a gradual extension 
of his investments. 



6l2 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

In 1 87 1, after having concluded to retire from the manufacturing of lumber, 
Mr. Porter sold his mill to Rockford parties, and he has since devoted himself 
entirely to his interests in timber lands, in which he holds large tracts in Wiscon- 
sin and on the northern peninsula of Michigan. While he has accumulated prop- 
erty by his industry and sound judgment until he stands among the wealthiest 
men of the city of Oshkosh, he has also aided materially the growth and develop- 
ment of Oshkosh. In this respect he might boast, but for the fact that he never 
boasts of anything, and for the share he has borne in promoting the prosperity of 
the city he certainly deserves great credit. He is a stockholder and director of 
the National Bank of Oshkosh, and is financially interested in the Kellogg 
National Bank, of Green Bay; the Fond du Lac National Bank, of Fond du Lac; 
and the Wisconsin National Bank of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is also the vice- 
president of the Oshkosh Street Railway Company. 

In politics, as in all else, Mr. Porter has been successful. He has never 
sought public offices, but has been Mayor of the city of Oshkosh for two terms, 
1867 and 1869. He is a stanch Democrat in principles, but in all things looks 
toward the greatest good for the greatest number. 

On December 31, 1854, Mr. Porter was married to Miss Sarah Holmes, of 
Paris, Maine, by whom he had two children, only one, however, living, a daugh- 
ter, Mrs. Nellie F~itch, wife of Hon. George Fitch, of Berlin, Wisconsin. In 1864 
Mrs. Porter died of consumption and lies buried in Riverside cemetery, Oshkosh, 
Wisconsin. 

Mr. Porter is a man who has always commanded the esteem and confidence 
of the community in which he lives. He is plain and unassuming in manner and 
very modest and reticent as to his own achievements. He has acquired wealth 
fairly and honorably, and uses it to the advantage of the community, as well as 
for his own benefit. It is to the honor and credit of Mr. Porter and men like 
him that while being successful themselves they so use their own prosperity as to 
assist others. Mr. Porter is a plain man of business, as unostentatious as when 
he was younger and poorer. Always genial and pleasant in manner, he is 
courteous to all and is still as sturdy and vigorous as many men twenty years 
younger. 



DONALD KENNEDY, 

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. 

MR. KENNEDY was born in Ottawa, Canada, December 16, 1828, son of 
Donald and Jessie (Buckham. ) Kennedy, both natives of Scotland, and 
the father by occupation a contractor and builder. Our subject received his edu- 
cation in the public schools of his native town, then called "Bytown," it being a 






i^Z^^<^^ ^//^^^^^^^ 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 615 

place of four or five thousand inhabitants. From the time he was sixteen until 
he was twenty-one, he served an apprenticeship under Columbus Smith, of Barre, 
W-rmont, to the trade of millwright and engineer, working in Ottawa and throughout 
the surrounding country. After reaching his majority, he continued with Mr. Smith 
for about a year, receiving as remuneration one dollar per day. Then he worked 
for Grant Hall & Company, of Montreal, about two years. We next find him in 
the employ of Gilmour & Company, of Quebec, at their steam mill on the river 
i'rent at the head of the bay of Quinte. While working on the construction of 
the mill at that place he was stricken with the smallpox, and while there also had 
chills and fever, his sickness covering a period of about two months. Upon his 
recovery he went to Thurso, Canada East, where he spent three years in charge 
of mill works, at a salary of $600 per year and board. 

While in Thurso, Mr. Kennedy formed the acquaintance of O. H. Ingram, 
and having been frugal and saving had accumulated a small capital with which he 
decided to enter business on his own account. The pineries of northern Wiscon- 
sin at that time offered better opportunities to practical lumbermen than any 
other section of our country. Mr. Kennedy, associated with O. H. Ingram and 
A. M. Dole, organized the firm of Dole, Ingram & Kennedy, and began to manu- 
tacture lumber in Wisconsin. They commenced operations in a small way with a 
small j)()rtable mill with which they sawed timber for a sawmill. They then built 
a gang mill and brought the first iron planer and first iron lathe into the Chippewa 
vallfv. In addition to sawing their own timber they also partially supplied Dan- 
iel Shaw & Company. They began rafting operations soon after they started in 
Eau Claire, and after a few years opened up a lumber yard at Wabasha, Minne- 
sota. Later they started a lumber yard at Dubuque, Iowa, under the firm name 
of Ingram, Kennedy & Day, and this was placed under charge of W. H. Day, and 
they afterward erected a mill and sawed lumber there. In 186 1 a severe loss was 
encountered. The mill in Eau Claire was destroyed by fire, and having no insur- 
ance on their plant, §50,000 of their earnings were devoured by the element. The 
following year Messrs. Ingram and Kennedy purchased Mr. Dole's interest in the 
business. Some years later two young men who were faithful employes were each 
given an eighth interest, to be paid out of their share of the profits. Thus the style 
of the firm became Ingram, Kennedy & Company. In 1865 they built the steamer 
Silas Wright, and conducted the largest part of the freighting from Reed's Land- 
ing to Eau Claire. 

In 1 881 Mr. Kennedy sold out his interest in the several establishments in 
which he was associated with Mr. Ingram, to Messrs. Delaney and McVeigh, and 
removed to Minneapolis. In 1882 he purchased an interest in the business of the 
D. M. Gilmore Furniture Company. His son, A. G. Kennedy, soon succeeded 
Mr. Gilmore, and the firm has since been Donald Kennedy & Son. 

Mr. Kennedy's political views are in harmony with the principles advocated by 
the Republican party, and he has always taken a laudable interest in public aftairs. 



6l6 lUOGRArillCAI. Die l'IciNAK\ ANIi I'liKTRAlT CAl.I.KRV OK I'lIK 



He was a inciiilxr ot tlie first City Council of Ivau Claire. l^clifi;ious]v he is a 
Presbyterian, in l)usiness lie is prompt, tliorou^hi^oinL; and lionoraMc in every 
way, and all wlm h.-we had dcalini^s with hini appreciate his excellent ([ualilies. 

Mr. Kennedy was married in 1S56, to Mi.ss Georgiana Atkinson, of Ottawa, 
Canada, and they have eleven children living, namely: fe.ssie, wife of Carlisle 
l^artlett; Allen ("■,, in business with his fatlu-r; Lottie, wife of lui^'ene Shaw, of 
Eau Claire; Donald, of Sioux Cit\', Iowa; and hdisaheth, llarr\', K'ohert, K.itha- 
rine, Georgiana, Cornelia and Helene, at home with their parents. 



GEORGE W. PEC K, 

.MII.WAliKEE. 

Gl^OKGH W. I'hX'K, GoN'crnor oi Wisconsin, was horn in [(^fferson county. 
New York, Seinemher 2S, iS.|c), ,ind when he was three \'ears of age his 
parents, David H. and Al/.ina IV-ck, emii;r,ited with llu'ir f.imily to the Badger 
State. Isaac and .Miner |oslin, brothers ol his mothi'r, were also of the party. 
They located at Cold Spring, Jefferson county, where the futtirt* journalist, 
humorist and statesman attended the common scht)ols. .\fter a few years the 
place of residence was changed to White Water, and before reaching the age of 
tit teen years Cieorge completed his education in the schools of that city. Young 
in years and e.xperii'nce, hv now entered upon a caii'er which was destined to lead 
him to high honors, but before he reached this jirominence hv went through j^ears 
of labor, struggling with obstacles and misfortunes, but steadib and surely work- 
ing his \\"d\ u|nvard, receiving the recognition which is always accorded true 
merit. 

.\t the age of fifteen George Peck entered the office of the White Water Regis- 
ter and after serving an apprenticeship and thoroughh' mastering the business, he 
became foreman of the Watertown Republican. Ew he had attainetl his ma- 
jority he was married, in i860, to Miss Francena Rowley, of Delavan, Wisconsin, 
and through the years which have followed she has shared with him in his reverses 
and prosperity, his discouragements and triumphs, and now the honors which 
crown his life fall also upon her, who for thirty-five 3'ears has traveled life's jour- 
ney by his side. They have three children, George W., |r. , who is now at the 
head of the Milwaukee Sun, and two younger sons, still in school. 

Immediately after his mairiage Mr. Peck purchased an interest in the Jeffer- 
son County Republican, of Jefferson county, and became the practical man of the 
establishment, doing the mechanical work and superintending general afiairs, while 
his putner, Mr, .Vtw.iter, acted as editor. For two years he continued on the Re- 



KKl'RKSENTATIVE MEN OK TIIE L'N'ITKI) STATES; WISCONSIN VOM'MK. 617 



[nihliiaii, llicn sold out <tnil workcil ;is a compositor on the Madison State Journal 
for about a year. In 1S63 lie rt;spondcd to the country's call for troops and be- 
came a member of the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry and was soon commissioned 
Second Lieutenant of Company L. In i8()() he was mustered out, haviuf,' served 
for one vear in Texas after the close ol hostilities. 

On his return to the North Mr. Peek established the Represc;ntativc of Ripon, 
Wisconsin, doinj,' the local and mechanical work, while Hon. Jedcdiah Bowen had 
charge of the editorial work. About 1868 his writings attracted the attention of 
M. M. (Brick) Pomeroy, who had recently removed the La Crosse Democrat to 
New York city, and he offered Mr. Peck a salary of forty dollars per week if he 
would go to that city and work on the paper. This offer he at once accepted and 
leased the paper in Ripon, which was afterward sold and is still carried on, under 
the name of the Ripon Free Press, .\fter two and a half years spent in New 
York Mr. Peck was transferred by Mr. Pomeroy to the La Crosse Democrat and 
worked on that paper for two years. The paper was then purchased by John 
Symes, who sold a half interest in it to Mr. Peck, and the name was changed from 
the La Cro.sse Democrat to the La Crosse Liberal Democrat, and its support was 
given to Horace Greeley for the presidency. In 1874 he withdrew from that 
paper and established the La Crosse Sun, but this proved not a paying invest- 
ment, yielding him barely a living in the next four years, but in 1878 he entered 
upon a most prosperous era in his journalistic work. He removed the Sun to 
Milwaukee, and it soon became known throughout the country on account of the 
uniqueness of its articles, which were marked with such a strong tinge of humor 
that its circulation constantly increased, at one time reaching 8o,ooocopies a week 
and extending over all parts of the nation. As his financial resources were 
rapidly increased, he made judicious investments of his surplus capital and there- 
fore secured a very comfortable competence, although he is not regarded as a 
wealthy man. 

Mr. Peckentert'd upon his ollicial career in 1867, at which time he was elected 
Citv Treasurer of Ki|)on. The next year he took an active part in cainpaign 
work, supporting I loratio Seymour for the presidency. He had long been inter- 
ested in political matters and a close student of the questions and issues of the 
day. and his support was given to the Democracy as a matter of conviction. He 
came of a family long connected with ths Democracy, but his opinions arc the 
result of careful deliberations. In 1864 he cast his ballot for Abraham Lincoln, 
being a warm friend of war measures. About the time he returned to Wiscon- 
sin he was appointed Chief of Police of La Crosse, serving in that capacity for 
one vear. In 1874-5 the State Legislature being Democratic, Mr. Peck was 
elected Chief Clerk of the Assembly. He .served as Assistant State Treasury 
Agent for one year while Governor Taylor was the chief executive of Wisconsin. 
During the Hancock campaign, in 1880, he was Chairman of the Democratic city 
and county committees, but for some time afterward gave his entire attention to 



6l8 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



his business affairs. In 1884 and again in 1888 he was an ardent supporter of 
Grover Cleveland. After removing to Milwaukee he manifested a deep interest 
in municipal affairs, and this circumstance naturally brought him forward con- 
spicuously for the Mayoralty nomination in 1890. He was elected to that office 
by the very handsome majority of 6,500 votes and naught could be said against 
the purity of his campaign methods. A few months later he received the nomina- 
tion of his party for Governor and his popularity and the confidence and high re- 
gard of Wisconsin's citizens was manifest in the plurality of 28,000 votes which 
he received, — the second Democratic candidate elected to that office in the State 
during a quarter of a century. On the expiration of his first term he was again 
called to the executive chair. 

As a humorous writer, however. Governor Peck is probably best known 
throughout the nation. For ten years he was regarded as one of the most origi- 
nal, versatile, and entertaining writers in the country, and his reputation was won 
not only through his "Bad Boy" sketches, but also through his descriptions and 
treatment of all classes of subjects, including every phase of country newspaper 
life, the army, domestic travel and city adventure. His articles attracted such 
wide-spread notoriety that the paper was sent to all parts of the Union and many 
of his writings were reproduced in book form. 

From early youth Governor Peck was a social favorite, his pleasant, genial 
manner and ever-ready fund of wit and humor making him an entertaining and 
agreeable acquaintance, while his honesty of purpose and honor in all things 
gained him the sincere and lasting friendship of many. In writing of i him the 
Tammany Times says: "Peck's sunshine is not all in print. He shows the 
quintessence of good nature in his daily walk and conduct. In his public speak- 
ing, newspaper writing and repartee he is full of bubbling, innocent fun. Although 
the humorous side of his nature is largely developed, when occasion demands he 
has the dignity and bearing of the most reserved, and carries his honors with a 
grace that is seldom equaled. He is sympathetic and generous, charitable to 
the opinions of those who differ from him, and his political life is without a 
blemish. " 



WASHINGTON BECKER, 

MILWAUKEE. 

THE past two decades in Milwaukee, as in almost every city of consequence 
in the Western States, constitute the era of the most rapid growth, its 
greatest increase of population, and the broadest development of its resources. 
This period of twenty years has been a period of the most remarkable industrial 
activity. It has been essentially a material age, in which the brightest intellects 
have bent themselves to the solution of commercial problems, to invention, finan- 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOIAIME. 619 



ciering and manufactures, rather than to questions of statecraft and legislation. 
In any Western city or community of consequence the most careless observer can- 
not fail to note that the influence most potent in shaping and controlling the afTairs 
of that particular community are wielded by men who have busied themselves 
with the practical afTairs of life, and who modestly insist upon being called private 
citizens. The men who have set on foot new enterprises, who have created new 
industries, and who have moulded financial policies, have been the real builders of 
the Western commonwealths. 

Washington Becker, whose achievements in Milwaukee have commanded respect 
and admiration, not only because of his success, but by reason of their value to 
the public, belongs to this class of men, and a residence of twenty years in this 
city has made him a leader among men of afTairs. 

He was born February 22, 1847, in South Worcester, Otsego county, New 
York, and is the son of Abraham Becker, prominent for many years as a lawyer 
and banker of that county. 

Brought up in Worcester, Washington Becker received his rudimentary edu- 
cation there, and was then sent to the famous old Phillips Academy, at Exeter, 
New Hampshire, at which institution he was graduated, in the class of 1865. He 
soon after entered Harvard College, but before he had completed his course, was 
called home to take charge of important business affairs committed to his care by 
his father. The elder Becker was at that time engaged in the banking business 
at Worcester, and failing health compelled him to call upon the son to look after 
his interests. While identified with the bank of which his father was president, 
he also read law, and after the death of his father, in 1867, he graduated at the 
.Albany Law School. Returning to Worcester he engaged in the practice of his 
profession until 1874, when he came to Milwaukee, which was at that time a pros- 
perous and promising little Western city. He was splendidly equipped, phy.sically 
and mentally, for an active business career. Of attractive personality, afTable 
and engaging in his manners, with a vast amount of that kind of genius which 
somebody has characterized as "a capacity for hard work, " he found here a promis- 
ing field for men of pluck, energy and originality, His mind was active, his 
ideas practical, and within a comparatively short time, he found himself engaged 
in enterprises so important as to require the greater share of his time and atten- 
tion and divert him from the practice of law. In the summer of 1875 he was one 
of the organizers of the West Side Railway Company, which ran its first car on 
Thanksgiving day of that year, and then operated two and a half miles of road, 
— having five miles of track, — from the corner of West Water street to Thirty- 
fourth and Wells streets. The capital stock of the company was $80,000, of which 
one half was paid up, and five cars were run by means of twenty horses. Mr. 
Becker was secretary of this company. In the spring of 1876 he was elected su- 
perintendent, and became the active manager, holding the offices of secretary, 
treasurer and superintendent at the same time. In 1880 he bought the stock of 
S. S. Merrill, and succeeded him as president of the company. In the summer of 



620 UUHIKAPHICAI. DlClloNAKV AND lH)KrRAir GAI.I.KKV (iK lUK 



1889 the work of transforming the road into an electric railway was begun, and 
on the 5th of April, 1890, — there being at the time ten miles of double-track road 
and sixty-three cars, — the line was first operated by electricity. It was the first 
street-railway line in the city to be operated by electricity, and under Mr. Becker's 
able management had become an important and valuable system. In October, 
1891, the North American Company, of New York, which had acquired a control- 
ling interest in all other Milwaukee street railways, opened negotiations with the 
West Side Company, and finally purchased its road, paying therefor a large 
amount of money. The exact amount has not been officially announced, but is 
understood to have been approximately $1,500,000. 

Mr. Becker's success in financial matters has caused his advice to be sought in 
many cases by older business men than he. In the financial crisis in 1893, when 
the crash came and misfortune overwhelmed the Wisconsin Marine & Fire Insur- 
ance Bank, — "the old Mitchell bank," the Gibraltar of finance, which people had 
come to believe could never fail, — the oldest financial institution in the Northwest, 
and known far and wide as a landmark in the business world,— then it was that, on 
the 25th of July, on petition of Benjamin F. Weil, the bank consenting, Judge 
Johnson appointed Washington Becker receiver for the bank, and fixed his bond at 
$1,000,000. He immediately filed this bond, with Angus Smith, Charles F. Pfister 
and Fred Vogel, Jr., as securities. The liabilities of the bank were ascertained to 
be $7,256,290.61, with assets nominally of the same value but actually much less. 
In those days of wild excitement, with many of the oldest and best institutions 
failing daily, it became a question of much moment to know what the outcome 
would be. To realize on the assets, to pay oft" the depositors and to re-establish 
the bank, was a task which could onlv be accomplished by the ablest and most care- 
ful financiering. 

Mr. Becker at once took firm hold of his work, and, with abilitv equal to the 
occasion, gradually disentangled the aftairs of the great financial institution of 
which he had taken charge as an officer of courts. Re-enforced by his genius, 
his resourcefulness and his inspiration of public confidence, those interested in the 
bank brought about with his assistance its reorganization, making Mr. Becker 
president of the reorganized corporation. All its obligations were redeemed or 
amply secured, and on the 15th day of January, 1894, the people of Wisconsin 
were delighted to see the doors of this famous old monetary institution again 
swing open for the transaction of business. 

The vivifying efiect of the reopening of this bank was immediatelv felt 
through out the city, the clearances of the first week following this event showing 
an increase over those of the preceding week of more than two millions of 
dollars. 

For his valuable services in this connection Mr. Becker is entitled to the thanks 
of some thousands of people who had both personal and financial interest in what 
he accomplished, and to the commendation of the general public which has been 
vastlv benefited therebv. 




<:~^r^<, fx /t U i^Tit^^ p 



^ 



KKI'KKSENIATIVE MKN OV TlIK UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 623 



JOSIUMI G. THORP, 

CAMHRIIX;!;, MASSACIIUSETTS. 

''[^O a Student of biography there is nothing more interesting than to examine 
I the life history of a self-made man and to learn what has enabled liiin to pass 
on the highway of life many of the companions of his youth who at the outset of 
their careers were more advantageously endowed. Mr. Thorp is a self-made man 
in the fullest sense of that often misused term, and an analysis of his life proves 
most forcibly that if a young man is endowed with natural ability, combined with a 
firm character and respect for honor and integrity he will reach some measure of 
success. Mr. Thorp was born in the town of Butternuts, Otsego county, New York, 
.Ajjril 2^, 1812. His father. Rev. Charles Thorp, a clergyman of the Congregational 
Church, was a man of ability and commanded the love of his community. The 
boyhood days of Joscpli were passed in the manner of the country boys of that 
period. He attended the district school and, being one of the elder sons, learned 
to do the "chores" at an early age. He left school when fifteen years of age and, 
at the age of seventeen, desirous of becoming a merchant, entered the store of Ira 
W ilcox, in O.xford, Chenango county. New York. He was virtuallj' an apprentice, 
being "on trial" until he was twenty-one. His remuneration during the iirst 
three years was $50 a year and board, and the last year of his "trial" he was 
paid $100. 

Attaining his majority he continued on a salary of $250 and board, which was 
increased the next year to $300, and the year following to $400, which was consid- 
ered a large salary at that time. His services for so many years made him so fully 
acquainted with the customers and business that Mr. Wilcox thought it best to re- 
tain him, and in place of a salary he was given a partnership, which changed the 
firm name to Ira Wilcox & Company. Mr. Thorp's capital at that time consisted 
of $500, which he had saved out of his salary. This amount he invested in the 
business. The firm of Ira Wilcox & Company was successful and soon Mr. Ihorp 
found himself on the road to prosperity, although he little dreamed of the full 
measure of success that was to lie his in later years. In 1846 Mr. Wilcox deter- 
mined to retire from business cares, and sold out his interest to Mr. Thorp's brother- 
in-law, N. C. Chapman, and the business at Oxford was continued under the name 
of Chapman & Thorp until 1856. 

In the autumn of 1855, Messrs. Chapman and Thorp decidetl to close their 
business in Oxford, where Mr. Thorp had so long been doing business, and to re- 
move to the West. It was decided that Mr. Chapman should remain East until 
outstanding accounts were settled and sales of goods and real estate consummated, 
and that .Mr. Thorp and family should leave for the West. This they did, — first 
stopping at Davenport and Clinton, Iowa, on the Mississippi river. At the latter 
place Mr. Thorp opened a banking office. In June, 1856, hearing of the new town 



6j4 HIOGKAl'lIICAL DICTIONARY AND I'ORrRAIT GALLKRV OF TKK 

of Eau Claire just starting, in northern Wisconsin, on the Chippewa river, Mr. 
Thorp was induced to visit the place. He found forty acres platted into city lots 
and one half sold to other parties. After looking over the place and its surround- 
ings he saw from its location, with its water-power on the Chippewa and Eau 
Claire rivers, and standing at the head of steamboat navigation on the Chippewa, 
that it must soon be a city of importance. Before leaving he made the purchase of 
some 3,000 acres of land, which included the half of the city plat, the adjoining 
lands, the water-power, sawmill and timber lands upon the Eau Claire river, for 
Chapman & Thorp, who soon after took possession, opened a store, started the saw- 
mill, and became lumbermen as well as merchants and farmers. In the spring of 
1857 a large steam sawmill was commenced and during the summer another large 
purchase was made of a sawmill, water-power and timber lands on the Eau Claire, 
which gave to Chapman & Thorp the main control of that stream. Times were 
then, in 1856 and the first part of 1857, very good, — gold plenty, lumber quick sale 
and in demand at $20 per thousand feet. Their purchases, with the building of 
mills, booms and other improvements, placed on Chapman & Thorp a large indebt- 
edness, which it was expected would be paid from sales of lumber to be manufact- 
ured. The change from good to hard times, in 1857 and 1858, and the depression 
which continued for years, bringing prices of lumber from $20 down to $8 per 
thousand, tells the story; but it was lived through and by hard work debts were 
paid in full. In 1858 Mr. Chapman removed to St. Louis and opened lumberyards, 
as the firm was now lumbering on an extensive scale, and their lumber was being 
run in rafts down the Mississippi river to St. Louis. Mr. Thorp remained in charge 
of the business at Eau Claire. For the first five or six years there was much to 
contend with, and while others interested wished themselves with their money back 
again in their old Eastern homes, if he had such a wish it was not spoken; but with 
his heavy load to carry, — almost beyond his strength at times, — he pluckily worked 
on until better times came again. He looks back now and realizes that their busi- 
ness character formed in the East, gave them the credit which carried them suc- 
cessfully through business crises in the West. Their policy of keeping their word 
equal to their note gave them good credit in the West, as it had done earlier in 
the East. The business in Eau Claire and St. Louis was conducted many years 
under the partnership name of Chapman & Thorp, but later it was changed to an 
incorporated company, under the title of the Eau Claire Lumber Company, of 
which Mr. Thorp was elected president and Mr. Chapman vice-president. 

When Mr. Thorp arrived in Eau Claire most of the land was still in possession 
of the Government. He and his partner invested all their spare capital in land, 
and were thus enabled to take the timber from the stump on their own lands and 
turn it out as manufactured lumber. At one time the Eau Claire Lumber Com- 
pany ran seven mills and cut from eighty to ninety millions of feet of lumber an- 
nually. They had facilities for handling large quantities of lumber in St. Louis 
and most of their product was rafted down the Mississippi to that city, where it was 
sold. A large mercantile business was always conducted by the company at Eau 
Claire. An idea of the success of the business may be obtained from the facts that 
upon its organization the Eau Claire Lumber Company was capitalized for $200,000; 



RKl'KKyKNIATlVK MEN l)K 1 UK UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 625 

that this was increased from time to time until it reached $2,000,000, on which good 
yearly dividends were paid; and that when liquidation took place, in 1889, the stock- 
holders received much more than par on their stock. 

Politically Mr. Thorp has always been a member of the Republican party. He 
was an active supporter of the war, and takes a deep interest as a citizen in political 
affairs. Shortly after his arrival in Eau Claire he was elected to various town and 
county offices. In 1868 and again in 1872 he was elected to the State Senate and 
served four years. He was appointed a member of the Committee on Railroads 
during his first 'term and during his second term he was the chairman of that com- 
mitte, which at that time was one of the most important of the Senate committees. 
After his public life of four years at Madison and his travels abroad with his family, 
the large business at home was of greater importance to him than political office, 
though he served as a delegate to the Republican national convention, at Fhiladel- 
jihia, which nominated General Cirant for his second term as President. 

In the year 1838 Mr. Thorp was married, at O.xford, New York, to Miss Susan 
A. Chapman, sister of Nelson C. Chapman, afterward his partner, and neice of 
Hon. Ira Wilco.x. -She was well educated, was a woman of strong mind and took 
an active and intelligent interest in temperance work and the suffrage cause. She 
died suddenly, at Santa Barbara, California, in April, 1893. Two children survive 
her: A daughter, Mrs. Sara C. Bull, wife of the late Ole Bull; and a son, Joseph 
G. Thorp, Jr., of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mrs. Joseph G. Thorp, Jr., was Miss 
Annie .A. Longfellow, daughter of the late Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the 
poet. 

Mr. Thorp has alwa\s endeavored to lead a consistent Christian life and has 
aided all religious organizations. He is now a member of Dr. McKenzie's Congre- 
gational Church at Cambridge, and while residing in Eau Claire was a member of 
Dr. Dudley's Church. He has traveled quite extensively both in this country and 
in Europe. 

Mr. Thorp owes his success in life to his own exertions. His measure of suc- 
cess has been earned by hard work. He is now in his eighty-second year, but has 
the healthful, hearty appearance of a man many years younger. His physical 
strength is doubtless largely due to correct habits. He has never used ardent 
spirits or tobacco. In 1889, after disposing of the most of his interests in the West, 
Mr. Thorp moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he bought land and built a 
comfortable house in which he now lives with his daughter, Mrs. Ole Bull. His son, 
J. C,. Thorp, Jr., and family live near, upon the same street. 

1 o such men as Mr. Thorp the present prosperous condition of the Northwest 
is due. Such men as he laid the foundation of the great Northwestern empire. He 
witnessed the transformation of the West from trackless prairies and forests to 
fertile farms, thriving hamlets and prosperous cities, and it is but just to state that 
none of the early settlers of Eau Claire did more to bring prosperity to that com- 
munity than did Joseph G. Thorp. At the close of this short biography it is but 
fair to add that, as it was wished to give Mr. Thorp a place in this volume among 
other prominent men and early settlers of western Wisconsin, he was called upon 
for his consent: this, from his dislike of publicity, he was reluctant to give, but, 



626 lilOCRArilK Al. UK TIONAKV AM) I'OKIKAII' CAI.IKKV OF IIIF 



being shown how many of his old friends and associates were to be represented in 
the book, he yielded and also consented to an interview, giving a short account of 
his life and closing with these words: " 1 was from the age of fifteen years left 
without parents and dependent upon my own exertions. I have passed through 
both the pleasures and hardships of life and I have luckily escaped many of the 
temptations that prove the ruin of young men and the habits which are the curse 
of old men. To my Heavenly Father 1 am indebted for the preserving care and 
goodness that have followed me all my days." 

Since the foregoing sketch was prepared for publication its honored subject 
has been called into eternal rest, his death being the consistent and beautiful end- 
ing of a noble life. Joseph G. Thorp tlied, at CamJjritlge, Massachusetts, January 
15, 1895, in the eighty-third year of his age. 



HON. BENJAMIN F. FAY. 

I'RAIKIF DU CHIF.N. 

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN FAY was born in Chittenango. Madison county, 
New York, Scj^tember 13, 1822, and is the fourth of the five children of Ur. 
Jonas and Electra (Allen) Fay, both natives of Massachusetts. His father was sur- 
geon on the historic frigate. Constitution (Old Ironsides), his commission having 
been signed by John Adams, the second President of the United States. Dr. I'^ay 
was a graduate of Harvard University, and died in the city of Utica. New York, in 

1835- 

When our subject was but three years of age, the family removed to Utica, 
New York, and here the next few years of his life were passed, and here he obtained 
his education at private schools in that place. 

At the age of fifteen he left school and accepted a position as clerk for a mer- 
cantile firm in that city, with whom he remained until he was twenty-two years 
of age, when, having been offered a desirable position in a general store in the then 
village of Milwaukee, Wisconsin Territorj', he accepted the advice of Horace 
Greeley, "Go West, young man," and in November, 1844, took up his resilience in 
that village. 

In the fall of 1846 he removed to the village of Watertown, Wisconsin, and 
opened a store for the sale of general merchandise. Two years later, in connection 
with other parties, he built a tlouring-mill in that village. On completion of the mill 
he disposed of his stock of goods, and havingleased the interests of the other owners, 
operated the mill until 1852, when he sold his interest in the property and accepted 
the secretaryship of the Milwaukee & Watertown Railroad, Company. 

In 1853, soon after the contract was let to build the Milwaukee & Mississippi 
Railroad to Prairie du Chien, he resigned his secretarj'ship, took up his residence 
in Prairie du Chien, and again embarked in the mercantile business, changing 
therefrom in 1857, on the completion of the railroad to that place, to engage in the 
purchase and shipment of grain and live-stock in Prairie du Chien and Bridgeport, 




'{am/T 



KKI'RKSKNTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 629 

the first station east, and in this line he remained until 187 1, wlicii he retired from 
active business, engaging in buying and selling real estate and loaning money, up to 
and including the present time. 

Mr. Fay is interested in several prominent railroad, banking and manufacturing 
corporations, also in Chicago properties and farms and farming land in Iowa and 
Wisconsin. 

Mr. Fay is classed a Democrat. In 1869 he served as member of the Wisconsin 
Legislature, and was Mayor of Prairie du Chien in 1S72, 1873 ^"<^1 '^74. being 
the first Mayor that city ever had. 

Mr. Fay has been twice married. His first wife was Martha Griswold Greene, 
a native of I lerkimer county. New York, to whom he was married in 1853: her death 
occurred in 1863. In .September, 1875, he was united to Mrs. Willia S. Powell, nee 
Lockart, of Prairie du Chien. Of this union has been born one son, Frank Lock- 
art Fay, now a student in the Michigan Military Academy, at Orchard Lake, 
Michi<ran. 



\\0\. GEORGE B. SHAW, 

EAU CLAIRE. 

nON. (il-lORGE H. SHAW, deceased, one of the most prominent and ])opular 
men in the State of Wisconsin, honored alike by young and old, rich and 
poor, humble and great, passed away at his home in Eau Claire, August 27, 1894. 
A native of New York, he was born in Alma, Allegany county, March 12, 1854, and 
was a son of Daniel Shaw, who for many years was identified with the interests of 
this couiitN- and was numbered among those pioneers who were the founders of the 
.State and to whom is due much of its present present prosperity and progress. When 
George was only three years old his father brought the family to Eau Claire and 
this city was henceforth his home, although at times he was called away by official 
duties. His youth was like that of most boys. He learned business methods with 
his father and entered upon his active career in 1874, when only twenty years of age, 
as the secretary of the Daniel Shaw Lumber Company and continued as such till 
his death. He possessed business ability of a high order and his careful manage- 
ment and sagacity were important factors in the success which attended the lumber 
concern. He was also connected with various other enterprises, manufacturing and 
commercial, and though his business relations did not make him so widely known as 
his political, yet he was an important factor in the commercial world of Eau Claire. 
Mr. Shaw was a man of systematic habits and ability and was in consequence 
well fitted for leadership among the rulers of the nation. Ere he had attained his 
majority it was well known that his sympathies were all with the Republican party, 
and his ballot gave evidence of the fact when age gave him the right of franchise. 
He spoke well in defense of his party's principles, was logical and convincing and 
ills words rang with a truth and assurance which can come only when the speaker 
fully Ix'licves and endorses the princi|)les which he is advocating. In 1876, when 



6^0 lilOGKAl'llU'AL DICTIONARV AND ruRrkAll GALLKRY OK THE 



twenty-two years of age, he was elected Alderman of his adopted city, and so well 
did he discharge the duties devolving upon him and so faithfully did he labor for 
the interests of the city, that he was again and again elected, serving in all for 
eleven consecutive years. In 1888 his fellow-townsmen gave him the highest office 
in their power to bestow, and for two years he served as Mayor, working again 
for public interests and greatly enhancing the welfare of the community. His admin- 
istration gave a great impetus to public improvement and the general advancement 
of the city. He was ever foremost in promoting business improvements in Eau 
Claire, and he was instrumental, while Alderman and Mayor, in securing to the 
city her street-railway, electric-light and telephone systems. He was an expert 
electrician and for three years held the position as general manager of the National 
Electric Company of Eau Claire, — from 1889 until 1892. 

Mr. Shaw's most important service, however, was in the legislative halls of the 
nation. In 1891 four jxirties placed candidates in the field for Congress, Mr. Shaw 
receiving the Republican nomination, and when the returns were received it was 
found that he had won the election by a very handsome majoritj'. He went to 
Washington and was a member of the minority, but he soon won a reputation as a 
ready and forceful speaker and gained the respect, confidence and high regard of 
both parties. He was appointed a member of the committee on private land claims 
and did effective work along that line. His term e.xpiring in the summer of 1894, 
he was renominated by acclamation and, had death spared him, would probably 
have been elected by the largest majority ever given in this State. In presenting his 
name before the nominating convention, General Griffin said: " He is a man as great 
and as big as the office to which he is called; and has proved himself worthy of the 
()osition. worthy of the respect and confidence of all who voted for him, and is a 
faithful representative of his constituency." 

Alike a leader in social circles, Mr. Shaw stood at the head of the Knights of 
Pythias fraternity in Wisconsin. On the 2d of February, 1874, he became a mem- 
ber of Eau Claire Lodge, No. 16, K. P., and at that time was unanimously chosen 
Chancellor Commander and the following year was sent as representative to the 
Grand Lodge. Steadily did he arise in the order until, in 1877, he was elected 
Grand Chancellor; the following year. Supreme Representative; and received the 
Supreme Lodge rank August 26, 1878, four years after becoming a Knight. In the 
Supreme Lodge his brilliant record continued. He was made Supreme Inner 
Guard, in 1882; became Supreme Master-at-arms, in 1888; later Supreme Vice-Chan- 
cellor, and at the Milwaukee session in 1890 was elected Supreme Chancellor by accla- 
mation. He was ever an earnest and enthusiastic worker in the order, never miss- 
ing a convention of the Subordinate, Grand or Supreme Lodges if he could possibly 
avoid it, and his wise counsel and sagacious business methods contributed much to 
their success and prosperity. Probably no member of the fraternity has ever been 
more popular and no death so sincerely mourned, and in Knights of Pythias circles 
through coming ages his name will be handed down and he will be spoken of as a 
model memlx'r, whose devotion to the cause was never for an instant questioned. 

Mr. Shaw was a man of nol)le and generous imiiulses, social and genial manner, 
and possessed of a powt-r of attraction which drew people to him and ever retained 



KKl'KKSKiNrATlVK MKN OK TIIK UNITKI) STATKS; WISCONSIN VOLUMK. 63 1 

their friendship. He was a man amon<r men, one whose life may profitably be used 
as an example of honor in all circles. As a public speaker he was especially ^^ifted 
and as. an after-dinner orator enjoyed an enviable reputation. I lis i^ersonal ap- 
pearance was comnian(lin<r, his voire and elocution effcctixc and his manner pre- 
possessing in the extreme, but pr<)l)al)l>' what made him most jtopular was his 
sincerity, which recognized the brotherhood of mankind. 

While attending Congress in the summer of i<S94, Mr. .Shaw was taken ill with 
malarial fever. Medical help was at once summoned and for some time he lingered, 
indeed, was well enough to return home, but almost immediately after reaching 
Eau Claire he began to grow worse and though every effort was put forth to pro- 
long his life, the labor was of no avail and he passed away amid the regret of almost 
the entire nation. Five minutes after the end came the news had spread all over 
the city; Hags were then placed at half mast and business men at once began mak- 
ing preparations for draping the city in mourning. The grief was universal, and 
the citizens of Eau Claire seemed to mourn a brother. The news, which was sent 
to Congress and to the Supreme Lodge of the Knights of Pythias, then in session 
in Washington, brought at once messages of sympathy and condolence, and gloom 
settled over both assemblages, while arrangements were at once made to send del- 
egations to Eau Claire who would take part in the last rites. Senators CuUom, 
Mitchell, Davis, Roach and Kyle, and Representatives Haugen, Barwig, Cooper, 
Somers, Babcock, Brickner, Cannon, Hepburn and Cousins, from Congress; and 
Messrs. Hoskins, Woodruff, Essex, Butterfield and Sadler, from the Supreme 
Lodge, Knights of Pythias, hastened to Wisconsin, and they, with the family and 
friends, laid the loved companion and honored statesman to rest. The funeral was 
without doubt the largest ever held in the State, hundreds following the remains to 
the grave, where, " ashes to ashes, dust to dust," were laid the remains of George 
B. Shaw. Long years will have passed, however, before the influence of his spirit 
will cease to be felt and his name be no more spoken by those who knew him well 
and enjoyed the rare pleasure of his friendship. After the simple but impressive 
ritualistic service of the Knights of Pythias had been completed at the grave, 
judge Hayden of the order concluded the service with the words, "And now, as 
if to thee, George B. Shaw, brightest, kindest, dearest brother in our order, in 
life, but now in death, for those who still remain, and for those who weep with us, 
I say this long, last, lingering farewell." 

The immediate family of our subject, -those upon whom the burden of deep- 
est grief was placed by his untimely demise, — comprise his devoted wife, two little 
children (a son and a daughter), his venerable mother, who is now nearing the age 
of four score years; and his brother, Eugene, of the Daniel Shaw Lumber Com- 
pany. His marriage was consumated fourteen years ago, when he was united to 
Miss Bletcher, daughter of a prominent business man of Eau Claire, and she, with 
her little son and daughter, survives the one who had proved all that husband and 
father could be in the happy little domestic circle, where the true character of the 
individual is most clearly demonstrated. In referring to the death of Mr. Shaw, 
one of the local pai)ers spoke as follows: 



632 BIOGKArUILAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



" To the stricken family the heartfelt sympathy of the entire community is ex- 
tended, in particular to the aged mother, whose name is cherished and revered in 
every household in the Chippewa valley, and to the beloved wife and the little 
daughter and son, in whom their father had so great delight. The city has lost a 
valued citizen, and in the circles of society and in the lodge-room his place will 
never be filled. He has been removed in the very flower of his manhood, and at 
a time when his services for the city and community could the least be spared." 



HON. LEVI WITHER, 

LA CROSSE. 

LEVI WITHEE, who in business interests has been very successful and who 
now occupies a leading position in commercial circles, was born on his father's 
farm in Somerset county, Maine, on the 26th of October, 1834, and is a son of Zach- 
ariah and Polly (Longley) Withee. His paternal grandfather was a native of Lon- 
donderry, Ireland, was a member of the Methodist Church, was honored by his 
fellow-citizens and lived to the advanced age of eighty-four years. The maternal 
grandfather of our subject was a native of England, participated in the war of the 
Revolution, and was wounded at the battle of Bunker Hill. He also attained the 
age of eighty-four years. 

Zachariah Withee was a typical New England farmer and defended his country 
in the war of 181 2, receiving for his services a land warrant. His wife, a most es- 
timable lady, was possessed of many excellent qualities of mind and heart. She was 
charitable and benevolent, and the poor and needy always found in her a friend. 
The family of this worthy couple numbered seven children, three of whom are still 
living. The parents were for fifty years consistent and faithful members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. The father died in 1876, the mother having been 
called to the home beyond in 1871. 

The boyhood days of the subject of this notice were passed upon his father's 
farm, and he attended the district school for a short period, but his opportunities 
for obtaining an education were exceedingly limited. When a j^oung man he de- 
termined to seek a home in the West, believing its privileges and advantages supe- 
rior to those afforded by the older and more densely populated States of the East. 
In accordance with this belief, at the age of nineteen years, he emigrated to Wis- 
consin, whither an elder brother had preceded him. He began work at lumbering 
in the forests and on the river for R. F. Weston, at a salary of $16 per month, and 
guarded his employer's interests as though they were his own, working steadily and 
honestly. The value of his services being thus attested, his wages were in conse- 
quence increased from time to time and, being frugal and economical, he soon ac- 
cumulated some money. In 1859, in connection with his brother, he embarked in 
the lumber business on his own account, in Clark county, as a member of the firm 
of Withee Brothers. Two years later they became associated with Messrs. Crosby 



RErRESENTATIVE MEN OV THE LMTED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 633 

and Hixon, and continued the business under the firm name of Crosb}', Hixon & 
Company. About 1866 Levi Withee sold out his interest in that concern and 
formed a partnership, in the Uimber business, with H. A. Bright, under the firm 
name of Bright & Withee, carrying on the business under this title until 1881, when 
they were joined by N. H. Withee and Abner Gile in the organization of the Island 
Mill Lumber Company, with a capital stock of $300,000. This company is still in 
existence, but in 1801 it \ irtuallx' sold out and since that time has been closing up 
its affairs. 

Mr. Withee has from time to time become interested in various other enter- 
I^rises, and is now connected with the Electric Light Company of La Crosse, the 
Abbatoir of the same city, and a cattle ranch situated in the western part of North 
Dakota. 

Mr. Withee was reared in the faith of the Democratic party and from his child- 
hood had the principles of free trade taught him by his father and neighbors, who 
were all advocates of that doctrine, but when he reached an age when politics and 
political measures awakened an interest in him, he brought to bear sound judgment 
and cool reason on this question and came to the conclusion that American indus- 
tries should be protected; therefore, upon the organization of the Republican party, 
he cast his lot with that body and has since been identified with it as one of its 
ablest and stanchest advocates in this State. He has never sought office, preferring 
to give his entire time and attention to his business interests. In 1892, however, 
he was elected to the office of State Senator from the district composed of La 
Crosse and Trempealeau counties, and proved a faithful officer. 

In 1868 Mr. Withee married Miss Lovisa Smith, daughter of Orange and Har- 
riet (Ketchum) Smith, of La Crosse. Her father was born in Franklin county, 
.\e\v York, on the nth day of October, i8oo, and died in West Salem, Wisconsin, in 
1884. He was by occupation a farmer and resided in New York until 1835, when he 
removed to Cook county, Illinois, and later to Lake county, that State. In 1851 he 
became a resident of La Crosse county, Wisconsin, and entered a farm, which he 
cultivated for many years. He was highly esteemed throughout the community, 
and for some years served his fellow-townsmen as County Commissioner and Justice 
of the Peace. Mrs. Harriet Smith was a native of Vermont and died in 1851, after 
which he married Laurina Holden. 

Mr. Withee was reared in the Methodist Episcopal Church, but after his mar- 
riage went with his wife to the Universalist Church, the services of which they both 
now attend. 

HON. SAMUEL S. BOWRRS, M. I)., 

FOND in' i.Ac;. 

DIv. BOW ilRS was lK)rn in Berlin, Waterloo count}', in the province of Ontario, 
Canada, December 4, 1836. His parents Samuel and Lydia I.Sauer) Bowers 
were natives of Pennsylvania. His father was born in 1792 and his mother in 1798. 
B(jth were of (ierman ancestry, their families being founded in America in 1750, 
during the colonial days of our history. They located in Canada in 1826. 



634 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Our subject obtained his early education in the common schools, suplemented by 
courses of study at Rockwood Academy and the Victoria University, at Coburg, 
Ontario, where he pursued a classical and scientific course. Deciding to make the 
practice of the science of medicine his life work he became a student of the Toronto 
School of Medicine. He continued his studies in the University Medical College of 
New York city and after obtaining a diploma from that institution returned to Can- 
ada and attended the Queen's University, Kingston, Canada, at which he gradu- 
ated in 1857. 

He began to practice his profession in Melbourne, Richmond county, Quebec, 
remaining there until 1865. In that year he located in F'ond du Lac, Wisconsin, and 
there he has continuously practiced his profession. He has been successful in his 
profession and enjoys the confidence of the entire community. 

Politically Dr. Bowers is Democratic. He is a strong advocate of Democratic 
principles and firmly believes in the doctrines of the party. He is ever ready to aid 
his party during its campaigns, and labors earnestly and zealously to assure it suc- 
cess at the polls. Four times has he been honored by his fellow citizens by being 
elected Mayor of Fond du Lac. In 1879 he was elected for the first time, and so 
well did he administer the city's affairs that he was re-elected in 1880 and in 1881. 
Again, in 1892, was he brought forward as the right man for the right place, and was 
again elected to the Mayoralty. He has also served five terms as chairman of the 
County Board of Supervisors of Fond du Lac county. 

On April 20, 1858, in Waterloo county, Ontario, Dr. Bowers married Miss 
Hanah M. Flower, a daughter of Captain William Flower, a native of North Adams, 
Massachusetts. Five children, four of whom, one son and three daughters, are now 
living, have blessed this marriage. 

Such is the biography of one of Fond du Lac's most prominent citizens. Dr. 
Bowers has through his innate ability and unflagging industry attained success. As 
a physician he enjoys the confidence of the community and commands the respect 
of the profession; as a citizen none stands higher in the public regard, and in high 
positions of trust has he so deported himself as to merit the respect and confidence of 
all classes of citizens, irrespective of party affiliations and religious creeds. 



HON. HERMAN L. HUMPHREY, 



THERE unquestionably was a relationship existing between Ozias Humphrey, 
the renowned member of the Royal Academy and painter to the king and 
royal family, living during the latter part of the seventeenth century, whose purity 
of blood and respect in arms is vouchsafed for by Boswell in his life of Johnson, 
and Michael Humphrey, the founder of the American family of that name, who 
must have arrived in America soon after the memorable voyage of the Mayflower, 
as he is known to have moved from Dorchester, Massachusetts, about 1635, to 



KEPRESENTATIVK MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 637 



Windsor, Connecticut, where he engaged in the manufacture of tar and turpentine 
at a little place called Massace (now Simsbury) , then set in a wilderness, a few 
miles west of the Windsor settlement. The Humphrey family has had more than 
its share of illustrious members, as the records show that they have contributed to 
the glory of statesmanship; and there were also prominent members in the 
professions of science, medicine, law, as well as in the commercial world. Within 
the limitations of this volume we do not essay the noting of the meritorious record 
of more than one member of that family, -that of Judge H. L. Humphrey, of Hud- 
son, Wisconsin. 

It is not inappropriate to record here the relationship existing between the 
Humphrey family and the famous, or otherwise renowned. Captain John Brown. 
Captain John Brown's grandmother was Ruth, a daughter of Hon. Oliver Hum- 
phrey, and on his mother's side he was a cousin of Dr. Heman Humphrey, presi- 
dent of the Amherst College. 

Herman Loin Humphrey was born March 14, 1830, at Candor. Tioga county. 
New York, and is the son of Lucius and Lidya (Chidsey) llumphrey. The early 
occupation of his father was that of a carriage-maker, but our subject was born on 
a farm which his father owned and which he was at that time cultivating. 

Mr. Humphrey's education was obtained in the public schools and at the Cort- 
land Academy. At the early age of sixteen he commenced the business of life as a 
merchant's clerk, in Ithaca, New York, in which employment he remained until his 
twenty-third year. Developing with matiu^e life a preference for a professional 
career, he left mercantile pursuits and entered upon the study of law in the office 
of Walbridge & Finch, at Ithaca, where he remained until he was admitted to the 
bar July 10, 1854, at Delhi, New York. Thinking that a new Western country 
afforded a better field for a youthful practitioner, he settled in Hudson Wisconsin, 
in (anuary, 1855, and has since resided here. He soon launched upon the tide of 
successful professional business, and not long after this auspicious beginning a va- 
cancy occurred in the office of District Attorney of St. Croix county, and Mr. Hum- 
phrey received the appoitment to the position, holding the office during the vacancy. 
In the fall of i860 he was appointed by the Governor as County Judge of St. Croix 
county to fill a vacancy, and the ensuing spring was elected to succeed himself, for 
the full term of four years, commencing January i, 1862. In the meantime, having 
been elected State Senator, in the fall of i86i, he resigned the office of County 
judge in February, 1862, having taken his seat in the Senate. This was in the 
height of the Civil war, and Senator llumphrey was found conspicuously acting 
with those who, with voice and vote, were endeavoring to maintain the Union sol- 
diers in the field and to uphold the hands of the President. 

After the fall of Fort Donelson a bill was introduced and passed the Assembly 
to repeal the law of 1861, which gave $3 a month to the wives of soldiers who en- 
listed in the infantry. On going to the Senate the bill immediately passed to a 
third reading, and at this juncture Senator Humphrey, although a new member, 
strongly objected to it, holding that such action would be an unjust violation of 
good faith, and would drive the men of Wisconsin to enlist in States holding out 
better inducements. 1 le enforced these views with such pointed language that the 



638 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

question resulted in increasing the amount to $5 per month, and in including every 
arm of the service. To meet the payment of the large sum of money this bill would 
call for, the use of the school funds was resorted to. Objections to using these 
funds were made by Democrats, who claimed that the State might at some future 
time repudiate the debt. Senator Humphrey took the floor, and among other 
things said, " Let her repudiate;" adding that as the trustee of the school fund the 
State would be compelled to make the fund good in any contingency, and that this 
measure would make the war bonds of the State good, — which proved true. He 
also introduced an amendment to the State Constitution, to add, after the word 
"State," occurring in section seven, article eight, "and the United States," so that 
no further discredit could be brought on the bonds on the ground that they had 
been issued to defend the United States and not the State in time of war, — the 
adoption of which would save the State much trouble, as it was obliged, in 1865, to 
levy a heavy State ta.x to take care of the bonds held by State banks, — Congress 
having taxed the issue of State banks ten per cent to drive such issue out of exist- 
ence. He likewise made a speech in favor of the proposition to permit soldiers in 
the field to vote, and this received high commendation at the time, both by those 
who heard it and by the press. 

In 1865 Judge Humphrey was elected and served one year as Mayor of Hud- 
son, and in the spring of 1866 was chosen Judge of the eighth judicial circuit; was 
re-elected in 1872, and resigned in March, 1877, after having served in that capacity 
for a continuous period of more than a decade, his incumbency having dated from 
January, 1867. His resignation was tendered in order that he might take his seat 
in Congress, — a preferment which had come to him at the fall election of 1876. It 
is seldom that an occupant of the bench retired from the scene of his labors carry- 
ing with him in so large a degree the confidence, esteem, and love of the entire 
legal fraternity as did Judge Humphrey. During his many years of service he had 
in such an impartial and conscientious manner discharged the high and responsible 
duties of his office as to greatly endear him to the members of the bar, while at the 
same time he obtained a strong hold upon the affections of the people. It was fit- 
ting, therefore, that upon taking leave of Judge Humphrey at the close of his last 
term of court, the bar should give expression to the feeling and sentiment of its 
members which it did in the following resolutions: 

" IV/icreas, By the recent division of the eighth judicial circuit of Wisconsin and 
the organization of the thirteenth circuit, the bar of Eau Claire county must lose 
the services of the Hon. H. L. Humphrey, who for more than ten years past has 
discharged the duties of Judge of the court, and 

" ll^hcrcas, The close of this relation suggests an expression of the loss to the 
bar and the people of this county arising therefrom and as well as the great re- 
spect we cherish for his uniform courtesy and personal worth; therefore, 

"Resolved: ist. That in the official conduct of Hon. 11. L. Humphrey we rec- 
ognize a thorough knowledge of the law, clear discrimination, uniform im])artiality, 
and unyielding integrity. 

"2d, That beyond these qualities of a Judge we recognize and esteem his even 
courtesy, genial humor, and pure private life, and thai from all our intercourse with 



■.<KrRESENTAriVE MEN OK THE UMTKD STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 639 

him on the bench and elsewhere we shall cherish only grateful and pleasant recol- 
lections. 

"3d, That in his retirement we tender him our cordial thanks for his faithful 
service, trusting that the future may hold for him the sure reward that waits on pa- 
tient and honorable toil." 

Although not a politician in the common sense of the term, the Judge has al- 
ways taken a lively and well-informed interest in the political affairs of the country 
and has wielded a large and healthful influence in the Republican party. Conse- 
quently, when a successor to Congressman J. M. Rusk was to be chosen, in 1876, 
the Republicans of the seventh Congressional district, with notable unanimity, 
called upon Judge Humphrey to accept a nomination for Member of Congress. He 
accepted the nomination and was elected by a handsome majority. Having served 
with satisfaction to his constituents for one term, he was readily re-elected to the 
second term in 1878, and on assembling of the Congressional convention, in 1880, he 
was nomited on the first ballot for a third term, notwithstanding two very strong 
competitors were candidates for the nomination. His re-election resulted in a 
larger majority than has ever been given to any Member of Congress in his State. 
The most notable incident in the life of Judge Humphrey occurred while he was 
a member of the Forty-seventh Congress, during the debate in the House of RejJ- 
resentatives, which had under consideration the bill for the distribution of the 
unappropriated moneys of the Geneva award, — amounting to $7,000,000. The Amer- 
ican marine underwriters attempted to get hold of this fund, claiming the United 
States Government to be a mere trustee of the same for distribution among owners 
of merchant vessels who had suffered loss from depredations of Confederate cruis- 
ers; that said merchant vessels having been insured by said underwriters and the 
losses having been paid bj' the underwriters, they, as a matter of law, became sub- 
rogated to the rights of said losers of merchant vessels by the payment of said 
losses. This meant the virtual turning over of the entire amount to the under- 
writers. 

The argument which Representative Humphrey made was based upon the fact 
that the owners of these merchant vessels had paid to these imderwriters a heavy 
war premium against loss by the depredations of the Confederate cruisers and the 
underwriters had insured them against loss by such cruisers; that the amount 
awarded the United .States by the Geneva Tribunal was for damages due the Gov- 
ernment of the United States from Great Britain by reason of her neglect in not 
using due diligence and proper care in preventing the fitting out on her soil and 
leaving her shores of Confederate cruisers to prey upon the commerce of the United 
States; the award being for damages to the Government of the United States 
directly, for the injury it received to its commerce by the act and neglect of Great 
Britain; that none of the losers of merchant vessels had any legal claim to any of 
the moneys received by the United States under this award, as individual claims of 
our citizens against Great Britain were provided for by the twelfth article of the 
treaty of Washington. Therefore, if the United States, by act of Congress, dis- 
tributed this money among those who suffered losses it was a mere act of grace on 



640 hlUGRAHlllCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 

its part; and that the underwriters could not be subrogated to the rights of any 
assured who as a matter of grace our Government saw fit to indemnify for actual 
losses sustained. 

Judge Humphrey further argued that the only question at issue before the 
Geneva Tribunal was whether the Government of the United States had been 
wronged and suffered damage by the wrongful acts of the government of Great 
Britain under the three rules laid down in the first article of the treaty of Washing- 
ton. The tribunal decided the Government of Great Britain had not used due 
diligence within its jurisdiction to prevent cruisers leaving its shores fitted out and 
armed to prey upon our commerce and that that government must pay to the Gov- 
ernment of the United States as damages a gross sum for its wrongful act to this 
Government. 

In conclusion Judge Humphrey urged that the underwriters well knew that, if 
this is a trust-fund, as claimed by them, the United States could not divest the trust; 
that the Court of Claims for action against the United States was open to them; that 
it is assumed as a fundamental principle that when the people endow a government 
with the attributes of sovereignty, they create a sovereignty which can suffer a 
wrong they cannot in their individual capacity suffer, and having thus endowed that 
government with a sovereignty of that character, when it comes as one of the great 
nations of the earth before a tribunal in connection with another government, and 
submits what it claims to be wrongs against its national honor, and that tribunal 
passes on the question and gives a sum in gross as damages, it makes no difference 
what are the items out of which that claim arose. When it received it, it received it 
in its sovereign capacity and received it to deal with as it saw fit, just as it saw proper, 
because it could go before that tribunal and submit that great wrong and have the 
question decided without submitting one dollar or one cent of claims to be recov- 
ered in the shape of damages in dollars and cents. 

The New York World in attempting to justify the raid of the marine under- 
writers upon the Geneva award, published a lengthy editorial criticising the speech 
of Judge Humphrey, and said among other things that his argument was "ingenious 
to say the least, if not strictly honest," but the honesty of his argument was sus- 
tained by Congress, which gave a decided vote against paying the claims of the 
underwriters, and in favor of owners of vessels who had suffered loss. 

One of the most valuable tributes paid the character of Judge Humphrey is 
found in liill Nye's writings. The humorist is an old resident of Hudson and a warm 
personal friend of the Judge. In his "Cities by the Sea as Noted by Bill Nye," he 
says: " We pass through Hudson going south from Minneapolis. Hudson is a hand- 
some little city on the shores of Lake St. Croix. She makes a specialty of great 
men. Also good pickerel fishing. Ex-Senator Spooner lives at Hudson. Judge 
Humphrey lives here also. I do not lay down any rules of conduct for my boys at 
home. I just in a general way tell them to be like Judge Humphrey. The man 
who goes into Wisconsin and criticises Judge Humphrey is generally arrested on 
suspicion and held till they find out what his record is." 

Unobtrusive and conservative in his ways of life, the purity of Judge Hum- 
phrey's character is justly appreciated by those who know him. The soundness of 



REl'UKSKNTATUK MEN OK IHK UNirEU STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 64I 

his political views has made him a reliable and valued member of the Republican 
party, while his irreproachable moral principles and wide, statesman-like range of 
thought have rendered his career in the councils of the nation of enduring benefit 
to the country, reflecting honor upon his immediate constitutents and enduring 
credit to his public life. 

Since his retirement from public life judge Humphrey has given his undivided 
attention to his law practice. As a counsel he is painstaking and conservative, and 
his judgment on what is the best thing to be done in the matters submitted to him 
can safely be depended upon, as he never advises his clients to take a course of 
action which may be doubtful in result, without fully explaining to them the pos- 
sible consequences. In addition to his legal practice Judge Humphrey is a stock- 
holder and director of the First National Bank of Hudson, and is also the assignee 
of Alfred J. Goss, which includes the Hudson Savings Bank, with deposits aggre- 
gating over $700,000. 

Judge Humphrey has been twice married, — first, in 1855, to Miss [ennie Ann 
Cross, of Binghamton, New York. Five children resulted from this union, three 
daughters and two sons, all of whom are living at the present time. Mrs. Hum- 
phrey died January 31, 1880, at Chicago, Illinois. On October 4, 1881, Judge Hum- 
phrey was married to Mrs. Kittie Elvira Doty, nee Door, of Oswego, New York. 
Mrs. 1 lumphrey is a most esteemed lady, whose unostentatious charity is well known 
in Hudson. She is a most excellent wife and loving mother. She and her husband 
have been life-long members and devoted attendants of the Presbyterian Church. 



FRANK R. EJ.LIS, 

MILWAUKEE. 

I^^RAXK ROBERT ELLIS, vice-president of the Shadbolt & Boyd Iron Com- 
pany, of Milwaukee, was born in that city November 9, 1844. His parents were 
John and Charlotte (Byrnes) Ellis. The former was a native of the north of Ire- 
land and settled in Milwaukee in 1836. The mother of our subject was of Canadian 
nativity, and came to Milwaukee in the same year as her future husband. lohn 
Ellis, in the early days, gained a livelihood by supplying boats with wood; later he 
became a grading contractor, residing during all the time, until within the last few 
years, in Milwaukee. He is now residing in California, where he has a large fruit 
ranch. 

Our subject obtain(-<l liis primary education in the public schools of his native 
city, and afterward attended the German schools and Saint Aloysius Academy, tak- 
ing the entire courses in both of these institutions. Upon leaving school he was 
apprenticed to C. G. Hiecke, a piano-maker, of Milwaukee. At this time he was 
seventeen years of age, and the ensuing three years were spent in perfecting himself 
in the trade he had entered upon. At the expiration of that period he worked for 
a year as a journeyman at the piano business. 



642 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND I'OKIRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

He then formed a partnership with a Mr. Whitnell, and the firm of Whitnell & 
Ellis, of which Mr. Ellis was a member for nine years, were prominent florists ol 
the Cream City. Upon retiring from floriculture he entered the employ of Messrs. 
Shadbolt & Boyd, as shipping clerk and salesman. In this position he continued 
for five years, when he was promoted to the position of buyer of shelf goods. 

During his term of service the business was incorporated as the Shadbolt & 
Boyd Iron Company, and in i8qi Mr. Ellis was elected a director and vice-president. 
He still continues to be buyer of shelf goods. 

He has been connected with the business for a period of nineteen years, and 
his career therein has been one of advancement, solely from the force of his own 
merit and ability. Mr. Ellis is also a director and vice-president of the Belle City 
Malleable Iron Company, of Racine, Wisconsin. 

In politics Mr. Ellis is a staunch Republican, and was during the years 1884, 
1885 and 1886 a member of the Milwaukee City Council. 

He has traveled quite extensively in this country, having several times made 
trips to California on visits to his parents. In August, 1867, Mr. Ellis was married 
at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, to Miss Louisa Fishback, a native of Milwaukee. Of 
this union have been born three sons: William H., secretary and treasurer of the 
Wisconsin Floral Exchange; Harry P., secretary of the Charles Aubresch Com- 
pany; and Frank R., who is in the employ of the Binner Engraving Company. 

Mr. Ellis' success in life is solely attributable o his own exertions. Hard work 
and patient perseverance have resulted in his being in his present prominent and 
responsible position. It is strict attention to details and his never having missed 
an hour, that have been most instrumental in placing him in the front rank of the 
representative business men of the city and State. 



HON. LUCIEN B. CASWELL, 

FORT ATKINSON. 

LUCIEN BONAPARTE CASWELL, a distinguished citizen of Wisconsin, 
widely known as lawyer and statesman, was born at Swanton, Vermont, No- 
vember 27, 1827. In the so called New England States, the original home in Amer- 
ica of the Caswell family, the name has been favorably known for generations. 

He is the son of Beal and Betsey Caswell, ncc Chapman. His grandfather on 
the maternal side was a Revolutionary soldier. His father was a farmer by occupa- 
tion, who died when our subiect was but three years old. In 1837 he, with his mother 
and stepfather, Mr. Augustus Churchill, removed to Rock county, Wisconsin, then 
far out in the wilderness, which swarmed with Indians, their nearest white neighbor 
being ten miles away. 

The life of the boy was one of never-ceasing work, with no pleasure and no op- 
portunities for education. Constant personal attempts at self-instruction enabled 
him, however, to enter the Milton Academy, and later a few terms at Beloit Col- 
Igo-e, which latter institution afterwad conferred upon him the degree of A. M. He 





u^ 



KKl-KKSEM Al l\ K MKN OK IIIK IM 1 Kl) STATES; WISCONSIN XOLUiMK. 645 

reached the age of twent^^-three, when he began the study of law, under the late 
lion. Matthew Carpenter. In 1S51 he was admitted to the bar. In 1852 he com- 
menced the practice of his profession at Fort Atkinson, where he resided until the 
present time, having continuously practiced his profession in all the courts of the 
State, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Caswell has been a Repub- 
lican in his political principles since i860. In 1855 and 1856 he served as District 
Attorney, and in 1863 became a member of the State Legislature of Wisconsin. 
With a majority of but three in the State Assembly, the Republican members expe- 
rienced exceedingly hard work in enacting the necessary laws to aid the Federal 
Government and in voting the necessary supplies to the soldiers and those depend- 
ing upon the men who so patriotically offered their lives in aid of the Union. From 
September, 1863, to May 5, 1865, he was also Commissioner of the Second District 
Board of Enrollment of the State and actively engaged in recruiting the army. 

In 1868 he was a delegate to the national Republican convention held at Chi- 
cago, at which General U. S. Grant was nominated for his first term. In 1872 and 
1874 Mr. Caswell again served as a member of the Wisconsin State Legislature. In 
the latter year he was elected to the national House of Representatives of the 
Forty-fourth Congress, for the Second District of Wisconsin, and re-elected to the 
Forty-fifth, Forty-sixth and Forty-seventh Congresses. In 1882 his county was set 
on to the First District and he was not returned to the Forty-eighth Congress; the 
following terms, however, he was elected in the First District and served through 
the sessions of the Forty-ninth, Fiftieth and Fifty-first Congresses, making fourteen 
j-ears in all, — the longest Congressional service of all who have ever held the office 
from this State, 

Congressman Caswell entered upon his duties as legislator with zeal, and was 
thoroughly prepared by nature and experience for the work before him. The body 
of which he was a member was remarkable for the large number of men it contained 
who have since become prominent in the public affairs of the nation. These men, 
of strong mental caliber, were the controlling element, and almost from the first Mr. 
Caswell was recognized as specially fitted to mold legislation. In the Forty-fourth 
Congress his speeches in favor of the Centennial appropriation bill and against the 
Electoral count bill attracted special atten ion. In the Forty-fifth Congress he 
served as a member of the committee on the Pacific Railway, and favored the plan 
for building the Texas Pacific Railway to establish another competing line across 
the continent. During the same Congress, and since, his voice has been heard re- 
lating to the coinage of silver. He urged, with cogency, the effect of free coinage, 
showing how it would undermine the prosperity of the country by decreasing the 
purchasing power of money in common use among the people. He favored inter- 
national bi-metallism, insisting that to attempt the restoration of silver without the 
co-operation of other nations would defeat the very end sought. 

In the F"orty-seventh Congress he secured the unanimous consent of that body 
to insert a clause in the appropriation bill for the Post Office Department, of which 
he had charge, reducing the rate of postage from three to two cents on domestic 
letters. This clause, of such inestimable value to the people of this country, once 
upon an appropriation bill through his personal instrumentality, was agreed to and 



646 lUOGKAIMlICAl, DICriONARV AND roRl-RAIT GAl.l.KRV ol- IIIE 

passed. He opposed the enactment of the Inter-State Commerce law because he 
believed it would militate against his State and the West. His special field of op- 
eration for the last six years in Congress was as a member of the Committee on the 
Judiciary, — a committee which has charge of general legislation: on this committee 
his labors were indefatigable. Some men there are who come out strong on oc- 
casions which attract the public eye and incline the public ear; but when it comes 
to every-day duties they are very fond of their ease. Mr. Caswell, on the contrary, 
performed his duties in a modest way. He took part in the debates on the floor of 
Congress, and when he spoke the House listened. But the attraction was not the 
pyrotechnics of oratory: he commanded attention by the clear and thorough knowl- 
edge which he possessed of the subject under discussion, and the closeness of his ad- 
herence to it, and above all by the fairness of his statements. 

In the Fiftieth and Fifty-first Congresses he took an active part in the bill cre- 
ating the Circuit Court of Appeals, to relieve the labors of the Supreme Court, 
and he had final charge of it to completion. He was the author of the direct tax 
bill for the refunding, to the States, of $15,500,000, by which the State of Wisconsin 
recovered $444,000. This bill was pending three years before its final passage. At 
first it was vetoed by Mr. Cleveland, but later on was approved by Mr. Harrison. 
Mr. Caswell also had charge, in the House, of the bill re-adjusting the judiciary of 
the city of Washington. In the Fifty-first Congress he was chairman of the Com- 
mittee on Private Land Claims and secured the passage of a law creating a court for 
the adjustment of the Spanish and Mexican land grants which had been before 
Congress for over forty years but never before completed. 

His services have been of a most varied sort, but his ability has in all cases 
been fully demonstrated. His acquaintance with public men is extensive, and he 
keeps in perfect touch with enlightened public sentiment on all matters of impor- 
tance, national as well as local. His life has been successful in more ways than one. 
He has always been found in connection with enterprises of great scope and impor- 
tance to his State and district. In TS63 he was one of the founders of the First 
National Bank of Fort Atkinson, and has been connected with its management ever 
since, having held the office of cashier for twenty-five years, and is now its vice- 
president. In 1867 he was the principal spirit in organizing the Northwestern Man- 
ufacturing Company, which started with a capital of $25,000, since increased to $200,- 
000, — having always been successful and of great value to Fort Atkinson. Mr. Cas- 
well was also one of the founders of the Citizens' State Bank, which opened for busi- 
ness February 18, 1884, and has in many ways aided the best interests of the town 
in which he resides. 

Although he has spent much of his time in official duty, Mr. Caswell's home is to 
him the cherished spot of human existence. He was married August 7, 1855, to 
Miss Elizabeth H. May, of Fort Atkinson, who died January 31, 1890. Their chil- 
dren are six in number, as follows: Chester A., cashier of the the Citizens' State 
Bank; Isabelle, the wife of Guy L. Cole, of Beloit; Lucien B., Jr., the cashier of the 
First National Bank of Fort Atkinson; George Walter, bookkeeper for the North- 
western Manufacturing Company; Elizabeth May, who married Dr. F. J. Perry, of 
Fort Atkinson; and Harlow O., now at Rush Medical College, Chicago. 



RE1'RESEMAT1\E MEN i)h lUE UNITElJ STATES; WISCONSIN \OLL'ME. 647 

In iSqi, in company with his sons Chester and Harlow, Mr. Caswell made an 
extended tour in Europe. Prior to this he visited several times the Pacific coast, 
and has traveled throuj^h the Southern States, deriving much pleasure from his trips. 

The foregoing sketch presents some of the leading incidents in the career of a 
man who is as well known to the people of Wisconsin as any other man in the 
public service. Commencing in 1853, he has been one of the active men in politics 
for more than forty years. He has been honored by pul)lic and ofruial confidence 
equal to any man in the State, though he has always " pursued the even tenor of 
his w-ay" without regard to public favor. In all his positions he has been faithful 
and efficient, bringing to the discharge of his duty the highest and best qualities of 
his nature. He is now and always has been most popular with common people, and 
loves to appeal to their broad sense of justice and right, despising the intrigues of 
I)arty manipulations. With him closes an era of politics which for importance in 
the history of the nation, in the development of liberty and in the achievements of 
men, has no parallel in the annals of time. His private life has been spotless, and 
he is enjoying the highest esteem of his fellow citizens, who always stand ready to 
give their highest commendations to the result of his public career. 



GEORGE L. FIELD, 



^^npiIE affairs of life hinge upon confidence." The truth of this maxim is more 
i forcibly demonstrated in the business of banking than in any other occupa- 
tion, and is directly applicable to the life of the subject of this sketch. 

George Louis Field was born at New Berlin, Chenango county, New York, 
September 3, 1836, and is the son of Arnold and Ellen D. Field, nee Bennett. His 
ancestors were numbered among the early settlers of New England, and he is 
directly descended from William bield, who accompanied Roger Williams from 
Salem, Massachusetts, to Rhode Island in 1636, when the latter severed his connec- 
tion with the Puritans on account of the difference in their religious views. The 
paternal grandfather of Mr. Field moved in 1800 from Rhode Island to Chenango 
county, where the father of our subject was born, and where he resided, engaged 
in farming, until the time of his death. 

The death of Mr. Arnold Meld occurred when his son was quite young and his 
w idow subsequently married John Niles, Esq., an iron manufacturer of St. Joseph, 
Indiana. She died in 1879, at the age of sixty-four years. 

Upon the second marriage of Mr. Field's mother he remained with his grand- 
fatherand received a common-school education, supplemented by an academic course 
in his native town. At the age of fifteen he began the battle for an existence on his 
own account and left home with a new suit of clothes and twelve dollars in money, 
to seek his fortune. He first obtained a situation in the counting room of Board- 
man, (iray & Co., of .Albany, New \'ork, at a salary of one hundred and twenty-five 



648 IlKtCRAl'llUAI. DIiTlOXAKV AND rORl KAn' GALl.KRV i)V TIIK 

dollars per annum. Small though his wages were, he succeeded in saving four 
dollars out of his first years' work, and his entire life he has followed the same 
principle, that of living within his income and always having something to show for 
his labors. The following years he received a substantial increase, which enabled him 
to save more money, and by careful attention to the business entrusted in his care 
he laid the foundation for a practical business education. His early life developed 
irr him principles which have been the mainspring of his entire business career. In 
1857, in common with the ambition of most young men of the period, he desired to 
see more of the world than is visible from within the limits of his native State, and 
accepted a position of bookkeeper and teller in the Bank of Watertown, Water- 
town, Wisconsin. His services were almost immediately appreciated, and he was 
soon promoted to assistant cashier. He continued in this institution for six years, 
and in 1863 was tendered and accepted the position of cashier of the Bank of Ripon, 
entering upon his duties on April 7. 

Since then Mr. Field has been prominently identified with the banking interests 
of Ripon. and to his efforts are directly attributable the high standing which this city 
occupies in the banking world. 

On May 16, 1864, the First National Bank of Ripon succeeded the Bank of 
Ripon. The first board of directors consisted of E. P. Brockway, H. H. Mead, 
George L. Field, William M. Taggert and Bertine Pinkney. The first officers of 
the bank were E. P. Brockway, president; H. H. Mead, vice-president; George L. 
Field, cashier. Two changes have since taken place: first, when Mr. Brockway re- 
moved to Milwaukee, Mr. Mead was elected president and A. P. Harwood, vice- 
president, and second, upon the death of the latter in 1893. Mr. Field has, however, 
retained his position as cashier for more than thirty-one years, and during this time 
has been actively and unceasingly devoted to the management of the affairs of the 
bank. The bank occupied a solid structure, which was erected in 1855. It was totally 
destroyed by fire March 21, 1882, and with it Mr. Field lost one of the most com- 
plete bank libraries owned in the State of Wisconsin. This was a sad loss as he had 
devoted many years to gather his collection, and many books could not be replaced 
at any price. The rebuilding of the bank building was immediately undertaken, 
and in October of the same year the banks began business in its present quarters. 
The banking room is modern in construction and of metropolitan appearance. The 
First National Bank of Ripon is easily one of the leading banks in the State of 
Wisconsin, and its management has excited the admiration of bankers everywhere. 
During the more than a third of a century of Mr. Field's banking experience there 
has never been a day in the history of the First National Bank that it could not 
promptly meet its obligations to its depositors, and it has successfully withstood all 
the financial panics which have overtaken the country. The disasters in previous 
times of trouble were trivial when compared with those which struck the banks of 
Wisconsin in the fall of 1893. When the Wisconsin Marine Bank of Milwaukee 
suspended Mr. Field hardly knew what to expect, but immediately prepared for the 
crisis which he thought unavoidable. A meeting of the stockholders was called and 
means to inspire confidence were discussed. At this meeting Mr. Field held that 
every man should be responsible to the depositors to the entire amount of his 



RErRKSlCNTATlVK MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 649 

fortiint' and proposed to put his entire property in trust for tlie bank. At a subse- 
(liient meeting held July 25, 1893, ^^^^ following resolution was adopted. 

"We, the undersigned , directors of the P'irst National Bank of Ripon, Wiscon- 
sin, for value received, do hereby jointly and severally guarantee the payment of 
eacli. every and all deposits held by the First National Bank of Ripon now and 
during the year 1893." 

The Bankers' Magazine of August. 1893, comments ujxjn this action of the 
bank, as follows: 

" The I'irst National Bank of Ripon, W isconsin, has a record of which it may 
well be proud. .Since its organization in 1856 as the Bank of Ripon it has been so 
wisely and ably conducted that it has passed successfully through every financial 
storm that has arisen. It enjoys the confidence of the community to an unusual 
extent. With resources which are now considerable in excess of half a million of 
dollars its officers stand confidently ready for any emergency. Yet that the recruit 
failure in the State may not occasion the least anxiety to any of its customers the 
directors have voluntarily come forward and guaranteed the deposits, which are 
now $370,000, having for that purpose placed in the hands of a committee of promi- 
nent citizens, comprising Mayor Burnside, ¥. Strauss, and John Pearson, personal 
propertj^ of the value of $500,000, consisting of first-class securities that would be 
readily accepted anywhere. 

"This is entirely outside and in addition to the bank's resources, and gives a total 
security of upward of $1,000,000, or nearly three dollars for every dollar on de- 
posits. Such action of the directors cannot be too highly recommended nor fail to 
uphold and inspire confidence at a time like the present when the county is pass- 
ing through a great monetary crisis." 

It has been the object of Mr. Field to make the institution as strong as possible, 
and to that end he has endeavored to add constantly to the surplus of the bank. At 
present writing, with a capital of $60,000, it has $40,000 surplus and $20,000 undivided 
profits. The bank has paid regular dividends since its formation, but during the 
latter years of its existence its prosperity has greatly increased, and among the 
banks of Wisconsin it stands fifth in the ainount of its deposits as compared with 
its capital, and is considered one of the soundest in the State. 

As a young man Mr. P~ield unhesitatingly cast his lot with the people of the North- 
west, and his energies have been given to the development and elevation of his city. 
His career has been remarkable for perseverance, energy and unswerving fidelity to 
duty in every station he has filled, and his success has been the gradual outcome 
of intelligent, persistent and honorable effort. An active experience of more 
than thirty-five years as a successful banker has enabled him to acquire a practical 
grasp on business and financial affairs which is probably not exceeded by that of 
any of his contemporaries. Conservative in judgment and possessed of excellent 
abilities, his views and services are frequently sought by persons interested in im- 
portant investments, and his advice has contributed in no small degree to the success 
of many enterprises. His success in life has not been achieved by accident or 
chance, but each step has been characterized by a determination to succeed and by 
honest h.'ird work. 



650 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Although highly successful in life and implicitly relied upon, Mr. Field is a man 
of modest character. Simple in tastes and habits, notwithstanding the demands 
made upon him by his numerous business undertakings, he is ever ready to give his 
aid and assistance to any movement for the public good, and also finds time to at- 
tend to many matters of a social and philanthropic character. 

In politics Mr. Field affiliates with the Republican party, but is in nowise a poli- 
tician nor a seeker for political preferment. He served as the Mayor of Ripon in 
1869, but has since refused official honors of any kind. He has, however, served 
the city in many ways as its financial agent in conducting negotiations, and he has 
always served the best interests of the city. 

On September 11, i860, Mr. Field married Miss Imogene Harger, of Watertown, 
Wisconsin. The union has been blessed by four children: Helen Isabella died at 
the age of eight, in 1869; Amy D. was married May 3, 1894, to Dr. E. C. Barnes, of 
Ripon, Wisconsin. Imogene E., the second daughter, is at home with her parents. 
The greatest affliction which has overtaken Mr. Field was the death, in October, 
1892, of his only son, Arnold Wilson Field, a young man of twenty-one years. 

Mr. Field has been a life-long member of the Episcopal Church, and during 
his entire residence in Ripon has been a member of the Vestry of St. Peter's 
Church, and since 1886 has held the office of Senior Warden. 



THOMAS L. KENNAN, 

MILWAUKEE. 

AMONG the pioneer members of the Oshkosh bar, and later of the bar of 
Portage City, was Thomas L. Kennan, whose practice in later years brought 
him to Milwaukee, with the bar of which city he has since been identified. Born 
in Morristown, St. Lawrence county. New York, February 22, 1827, he is a son of 
George and Mary Kennan, who were pioneer settlers in northern New York. The 
family to which he belongs is of Scotch origin, and it is not known at just what time 
the family tree took root in America, but it is reasonably certain that the emigrant 
ancestor settled in New England more than 200 years ago. Colonel George Ken- 
nan, of Waterbury, Vermont, who was a participant in the Revolutionary struggle, 
was the great-grandfather of Thomas L. Kennan, and his paternal grandfather was 
Rev. Thomas Kennan, a well-known New England clergyman. On the maternal 
side Mr. Kennan is a descendant of Rev. John Lathrop, who was pastor of the first 
Congregational Church in London, England, and who came to New England in 
1634. He was pastor of the Colonial Church at Scituate, Massachusetts, and later 
of the church at Barnstable, Massachusetts. Mr. Kennan's grandmother, who came 
of this family, married Rev. Thomas Kennan, of Waterbury, Vermont, and her fam- 
ily name has been handed down to the grandson, whose full name is Thomas Lath- 
rop Kennan. His mother was the eldest daughter of Captain Chester Tuller, of 
Bangor, New York. 

Brought up on a farm, he attended the district schools in winter and worked on 
the farm in summer, until he was seventeen years of age. Having acquired a fair 




i' 



4yc^ 



RKPRKSKMAinK MKN OK THK UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 653 

English education, he then began teaching school in winter, and the money thus 
earned was used to defray his expenses at an academy in Jefferson county. New 
\<)rk. at which he completed his education. 

in 1847 he came West to Norwalk, Ohio, and began the study of law in the offue 
of his uncle, jairus Kennan, who was a prominent and able lawyer. After two years 
of close application to his law books, he made an extended tour throughout the 
.Southern and Western States, traveling mostly by stage coaches and steamboats, and 
visiting Milwaukee, Oshkosh, and other cities in Wisconsin, which, with the excep- 
tion of Milwaukee, were then scarcely more than thrifty villages. Returning to 
Ohio, he was married September 30, 1850, to Miss Loa Brown, of Fairfield, and 
soon after his marriage he came to Wisconsin, engaging in the practice of his pro- 
fession at Oshkosh. 

In 1855 he removed to Portage City, which was at that time thought to be the 
coming metropolis of the .State. There he found a bar of thirty lawyers, many of 
whom were men of marked abilit}', and several of whom afterward became dis- 
tinguished judges. About this time he acquired considerable distinction as a crimi- 
nal lawyer, by his successful defense of Alfred Underbill, who was charged with 
having murdered his half-brother, Townsend Underbill, but who was, after a very 
long and interesting trial, duly acquitted. He was always very successful as a crimi- 
nal lawyer, but that branch of the practice being distasteful to him, he dropped it 
many years ago and confined himself to civil business. 

Upon the breaking out of the Ci\ il war, he enlisted as a private, but soon after 
received a recruiting commission from the (Governor, and assisted in recruiting a 
company which was mustered into service as Company D, in the Tenth Regiment 
Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He was commissioned Pirst Lieutenant of the com- 
pany, and was soon afterward elected Captain, but declined his commission as Cap- 
tain in favor of another officer who had more military experience. He remained in 
the service until July, 1862, when, his health having failed, he resigned his commis- 
sion upon a surgeon's certificate of disability, and returned to the North. As soon 
as he recovered his health he was appointed a Deputy Provost Marshal, which 
position he held until the close of the war. He was also very active in recruiting 
men for the service, and was elected president of the Loyal League. 

In 1871 he resumed the practice of law at Portage City, and soon I)uilt ujj a 
large and lucrative business. He was retained in many railroad cases, and in 1880 
became assistant general solicitor of the Wisconsin Central Railroad Compan\', de- 
voting his entire time thereafter to the business of that company. He soon after, 
ward removed with his family to Milwaukee, where he has since resided. 

In 1884 a question of great importance arose as to the taxabilit)' of lands 
granted to railroad companies as indemnity, prior to the approval of the selections- 
In opposition to the opinions of many able lawyers, Mr. Kennan took the ground 
that such lands were not taxable. He brought suit on behalf of the railroad com- 
pany to set aside the taxes on over 25,000 acres of land, and secured a decision in 
favor of the company in the circuit court. The case was appealed by the defend- 
ants to the supreme court of Wisconsin, which court reversed the decision of the 
lower rf)iirt. It was then taken to the su|)rcme court of the United States, which 



654 lilOGRAFHlCAL UICTIONARV AND I'ORTKAIT GALLERY OF 1 UP: 

court held the lands not taxable, and the decision of the supreme court of Wis- 
consin was reversed. In 1889 he severed his connection with the railroad company, 
as his private interests required a large share of his time. 

In politics Mr. Kennan is a stanch Republican. He has been an active worker 
in behalf of that party, being a forcible and effective stump-speaker, but has always 
refused to accept public office. He is an active and prominent member of the Pres- 
byterian Church, belongs to the Loyal Legion and G. A. R., and is a thirty-second 
degree Scottish Rite Mason. In Milwaukee both Mr. and Mrs. Kennan have been 
actively identified with charitable and church work, Mrs. Kennan having been 
especially interested in building up the Protestant Home for the Aged, an insti- 
tution which has developed from small beginnings into a splendid charity. A fam- 
ily of three sons and three daughters have grown up around Mr. and Mrs. Kennan, 
and all have reflected credit upon the home and fireside, around which they gath- 
ered as children. 



ANDREW J. FRAME, 

WAUKESHA. 

THERE is no study so interesting and so improving to the individual in his so- 
cial and domestic relations, to the merchant in his trade and commerce, or to 
the statesman providing for the welfare of his country, as a sound system of finance. 
There is nothing so inspiring, nothing which produces such high endeavor and 
grand results in this world, both to nations and to trades and professions, as an 
honorable background of glorious achievement, and it is one of the incentives that 
to-day make banking such an honorable calling. 

For many years it has accomplished important results and produced mighty 
and powerful men. P>om the ranks of the banking fraternity some of our most 
eminent men have come. Banking is a science of itself, and the successful banker 
is invariably the one who has made it his life work; and whose constant study has 
been the finances of our country. These are the men capable of solving the na- 
tion's most profound and intricate financial problems. 

Mr. Frame has earned the reputation of being a careful, conservative banker, 
and an able financier by years of application and perseverance. He has risen solely 
by the force of individual ability from the humble position of messenger to the 
presidency of one of the soundest banking institutions in the State, and his name is 
a synonym for conservatism and integrity. His career furnishes a striking exem- 
plification of the fact that those who excel invariably spend life in one pursuit. 

Andrew Jay Frame was born in Waukesha F"ebruary 19, 1844. His parents 
were Maxwell and Jane (Atken) Frame, natives of Ayrshire, Scotland, where the 
former was by occupation a blacksmith. Mr. Frame, senior, emigrated to America 
and settled in Western New York, where he followed his trade until about 1841, 
when he moved to Wisconsin, and located at Waukesha shortly before the birth 
of the subject of this sketch. He did not long survive his advent to the western 



RKPRESENTATIVK MKN OK TIIK UMTED STATKS; WISCONSIN VOI.UMK. 657 

country, for he died when Andrew was but ten months old. and left a wife and 
another son, Henry M., who was then two years and a half old. The mother care- 
fully reared her fatherless little ones, and, believing that the best legacy she could 
bestow upon her children was a good education, she gave them the best she could 
afford with her limited means, and the boys were enabled to obtain a fair education 
in the pulilic schools of Waukesha. May 2, 1862, Andrew, then eighteen years of age, 
closed his school days, with the highest honors of his class, and at once accepted the 
[position of office boy in the Waukesha County Bank, where his labors consisted of 
sweeping out the office, and performing the customary duties of a bank messenger. 
He rapidly rose through the various grades of bookkeeper, teller and assistant 
cashier, thus learning in detail the duties of those positions, until in 1865, under the 
Xational Banking Act, the Waukesha County Bank became the Waukesha National 
Bank. At that time Mr. Frame was chosen as cashier of the new institution, he 
licing then but twenty-one years of age. For fifteen years he performed theduties 
of his office so ably and so faithfully that upon the death of the Hon. William Blair, 
the president of the bank, in 1880, Mr. Frame, at that time but thirtj'-six years of 
age, was selected as his successor; and this position he has filled ever since with 
great credit both to the bank and himself, and has pro\ed himself to be a most suc- 
cessful, shrewd and far-seeing financier. 

During the previous administration several bad loans had been made, which 
the bank had been carrying as good assets. Mr. Frame, however, steadily refused 
to declare a dividend until all doubtful assets were charged to the profit and loss 
account. This was done and since that time the bank has never passed a dividend. 

By an indomitable spirit of perseverance that never relaxed while in pursuit of 
its object, and by the adherence to strict business principles, the bank under the 
Ijrudent management of President Frame has increased its capital stock from $50- 
ooo in 1865 to its present capital of $150,000. Its surplus fund now amounts to 
over$6o,03D. Thelineof deposits, amountingtoabout$75,ooo in 1865, have increased 
more than ten-fold, being now, in ordinary times, from $700,000 to $900,000, the larg- 
est deposit account of all banks in places of equal size in Wisconsin, while its rep- 
utation for solidity is equal to that of any bank in the State without regard to size. 
That this is so is due almost entirelj' to Mr. Frame's careful methods. 

Mr. Frame is a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, and of tlie Wau- 
kesha Club, a social organization. He is also one of the trustees of Carroll Col- 
lege of Waukesha, and for a number of years has been the treasurer of that insti- 
tution. He has also for over twenty years been a member of the Waukesha .School 
board. In his religious faith Mr. bVame affiliates with the Bai)tist denomination, 
and is a liberal contributor toward the support of the local society. 

Politically, on questions of national import he is a sterling Republican, wiiile in 
local affairs he invariably votes for the candidate he believes to be the best fitted 
for the office. Although repeatedly urged to accept public office he has invariably 
refused even toconsidersuchathing,believingthat if a man hasa successful and press- 
ing business under his control he has no right to accept public office, and especially 
so when his business is of a fiduciary character. Mr. P'rame hasalwaysbeen a most 
careful man, his salary from May 2. 1862. to January i, i86;„ amounted to $100, and 



658 HKJGRArHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

on the latter date he had $60 of it, having used but $40 for his Hving expenses dur- 
ing the eight months of his employment. 

He is not only a practical banker, but a close student of finance and political 
economy, and is familiar with the works of the most eminent authorities in those 
branches. 

His successful career may be ascribed to eternal vigilance, sobriety, careful 
conservatism, close application and never failing perseverance. A man of far reach- 
ing thought, vigorous will and splendid ability, he possesses in a high degree those 
qualities so essential to a successful banking career, the ability to deliberate with 
caution, act with decision, and oppose with firmness. 

Mr. Frame is foremost in whatever pertains to the advancementof Waukesha's 
best interests, and is known as one of that village's most public-spirited citizens. Of 
a genial and sunny disposition, he is as cordial in his reception to one in humble 
circumstances as he is to the wealthiest. It has been a rule of his life never to spec- 
ulate, even to the smallest extent, and this he has rigidly adhered to. 

Mr. Frame was united in marriage August 25, 1869, to Miss Emma J. Richard- 
son, daughter of the late Hon. Silas Richardson of Waukesha. By this union he 
has had four children: three noble sons, Walter R., William S. and Harvey J.; and 
one lovely daughter, Esther Mabel. His beautiful mansion is one of Waukesha's 
happiest homes. 

Mr. Frame is strictly temperate in every way: he never uses liquor or tobacco 
in any form, and the employes of his bank at the present time and during the past 
twenty-five years have always been total abstainers. 

Mr. Frameisoneof Wisconsin's mosteminent financiers, and is held in the highest 
esteem by all who know him. A thoroughly self-made man he has risen solely by 
his own exertions. The Waukesha National Bank may almost be said to be a part 
of his individuality, and ever true to the trust reposed in him his has been the heart 
to resolve, the understanding to direct and the hand to execute all of its extensive 
undertakings and operations. 



GEORGE BEYER, 



THE career of him whose name heads this biography should serve as an inspira- 
tion to the young and point to the road to success. Mr. Beyer began life at 
the bottom round of the ladder. His childhood, boyhood and early manhood were 
passed in extreme poverty. His opportunities for obtaining an education were of 
the most meager kind, and that he has reached the high position he now occupies, 
notwitstanding the obstacles in his path, proves most forcibly that ability and stead- 
fastness of purpose can remove all barriers and enable the poorest of our boys to 
become the wealthiest and most highly respected citizens. In the town of Winge- 
rode, Prussia, George Beyer was born, on October 21, 1844. At the age of twelve 
years he accompanied his father, Christopher Beyer, to America, leaving his mother 



RKI'RKSKNIAI 1\K MKN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 659 

and sister in Prussia until the following year. Arriving in the United States, father 
and son journeyed to Milwaukee. Christopher Beyer obtained employment in 
()i()nt(), Wisconsin, and proceeded thither, leaving the boy in Milwaukee under the 
care of a cigarmaker named Loebenstein, who accepted the labor of the child in 
payment for his board. After a year spent in stripping tobacco, George came to 
Oconto and obtained employment at the Jones mill. Later he also worked at the 
1 lubbel water-mill. He was but a child, and although he labored faithfully, his ser- 
vices were of but little value, and returned him but six dollars monthly in wages. 
I lis parents were as poor as the poorest, and his early boyhood days were full of the 
hardest kind of work. In 1857 his father died, and being thus deprived of its head 
the lot of the family was harder than before. George obtained employment in a 
hotel, nin l)y a man named Johnson, and worked for him for several years for $6 a 
month. 1 lis work was of the hardest and most uninteresting kind. He did all the 
chores about the house, scrubbed the floors and cut the wood. '['he hotel was an 
unplastered, barn-like building, and the amount of wood needed for heating pur- 
l)Oses alone required an amount of labor that would be considered large for a man. 
l:5ut the boy, knowing that the food of his mother depended upon his earnings, bore 
his burdens bravely and did his duty noljly. The sad results of into.xication were 
vividly impressed upon his mind during his boyhood, and he determined never to 
taste alcoholic liquors. This resolve he has kept, and he has ever lived a temperate 
life. In 1858 his mother died, and the necessity for his monthly stipend not being 
as urgent as before, he left his employer. 

When Christopher Beyer died he owed a citizen of Oconto $26, and his creditor, 
after his death, continually dunned the boy for payment. Having a horror of debt 
and being desirous of paying this man, and having no money to do so, he tendered 
his services, agreeing to work the amount out. He was put to such labor as his em- 
jiloyer designated and kejit steadily at work until the account was balanced. 

During the time he was employed in paying his father's account, an incideiu 
which is here described occurred. He had been working faithfully for two months 
to discharge a debt which in all sense of equity he was not in the least obligated to 
pay, neither from a question of honor nor of law, when he considered it was neces- 
sary in order to hide his nakedness to obtain a pair of overalls. He called at his 
employer's place of business and asked him for seventy-five cents with which to pur- 
chase the garment. He received a negative reply to his request, and was also in- 
formed that he was still in debt. Imagine the feelings of the boy, who, with a most 
e.xalted sense of honor, was paying a deceased father's debt, when his necessary and 
reasonable request was refused. At that time his clothes were in tatters, and the 
day following being -Sunday, he was ashamed to be seen on the streets, and remained 
out of sight of man during that entire day. Having been informed that Mr. Whit- 
comb, a merchant and lumberman, desired to employ a boy to do chores around his 
house, George applied for the position and was accepted. lie was told by .Mr. 
Whitcomb to go to his house, but being literally clothed in rags he told his new em- 
ployer that he was ashamed to present himself before the ladies of the household 
as he appeared in his ragged clothing. Mr. Whitcomb then very generously gave 
him an order on his store for what he wanted, and having donned new overalls and 



660 13IOGRAPH1CAL DICTIONARY AND I'ORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

boots, the boy was as happy as a king. Mr. Whitcomb proved a generous and kind 
master, and George became interested in his work. ' Tis true that he still under- 
went hardships, but he saw that his employer was interested in him as a fellow 
human being, and labor for a kind master is always lightened by a contented mind. 
During his first winter with Mr. Whitcomb it was found necessary, owing to scarcity 
of room, to lodge him outside of the house. He was given a place to sleep in an 
old barn-like structure which had formerly been utilized as a boarding house. There 
he passed the nights that winter alone in a large twenty-five-room house, infested by 
large numbers of rats. In his work for Mr. Whitcomb the youth showed that he 
was made of the right material. He attended to his duties faithfully and attracted 
favorable attention from his employer, who gave him permission to attend school 
half of each day during two winter terms. Mr. Whitcomb then tendered him a po- 
sition in his store, and there he picked up a large amount of general knowledge. 
He was anxious to learn, and with the assistance of Mr. Seward, the firm's book- 
keeper, and other employes, he was taught the rudiments of arithmetic. As a clerk 
he displayed intelligence and ability, and at the suggestion of his employer, in 1862 
went to Chicago and took a course of study in Bryant & Stratton's Business College. 
He was very ambitious, and determined to devote his entire time and attention to 
his studies. He put in a full day every twenty-four hours, and in September, 1862, 
after a four-months' course, was given a diploma. Returning to Oconto he was ap- 
pointed Deputy County Clerk, and held that position until the spring of 1864, when, 
in response to Lincoln's call for one hundred day men, he tendered his services to 
his country and enlisted in the army. He enlisted in the Thirty-n'inth Regiment 
Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and was elected Second Lieutenant of Company H, 
of this regiment of Wisconsin volunteers. The regiment was ordered to the front 
and did guard duty at Memphis. He was mustered out of the service in the fall of 
1864. After being mustered out, Mr. Beyer returned to Oconto and obtained the 
position of bookkeeper for the firm of Whitcomb & Ideson, his former employers. 
He attended to his duties faithfully, and he sooned earned and received an in- 
creased salary. He virtually became manager of the business, and was consulted 
by his employers in all matters. After the death of Messrs. Whitcomb and Ideson, 
which occurred in the same year, the business was left entirely in his charge, and he 
conducted it safely and profitably. In 1867 the business affairs of Whitcomb & Ide- 
son were wound up, and in the same year Mr. Beyer entered the lumber business 
on his own account, usiiig the money he had saved from his salary for his working 
capital. His advent into business on his own account was not crowned with success. 
The depreciation in values subsequent to the war rendered prices uncertain, and in 
1871 he was forced into making an assignment. 

At that time railroads had not penetrated north of Green Bay, and freight for 
Oconto and all surrounding territory was brought by boat to that city. Mr. Beyer 
obtained a lease to the dock at which the boats landed, and during the summer of 
1871 all the freight was distributed under his supervision. Most men, after having 
been the proprietor of a business handling as he did one hundred thousand dollars' 
worth of lumber annually, would have deemed it beneath their dignity to work as 
lie (lid ui)()ii the docks; l)ut possessing self-reliance to a remarkable degree he 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF TIIK LMTKD STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 66 1 

worked at what he could obtain, and when the advent of autumn ended his work on 
the dock, he accepted a position as bookkeeper for a Mr. Bosworth, at a salary of 
$30 a month. He was later offered more remunerative positions by other manufac- 
turers, but, as he says, being desirous of " paddling his own canoe," and feeling that 
he could make money for himself if he could for others, he embarked in the in- 
surance business on his own account, and in the late fall of 1871 he started an insur- 
ance agency. His capital then consisted of health, vigor and a determination to 
succeed. He was financially as poor as the poorest, at one time not having enough 
cash to purchase a postage stamp to mail a letter; butby strict attention to business 
he became successful and conducted a profitable business until 1879, when he was 
elected County Treasurer, and then devoted his time and attention to his official 
duties. He was re-elected in 1889 and served two terms of two years each, to the 
satisfaction of the community. 

From the time he went into the insurance business, he purchased and sold pine 
lands and real estate, and in 1883, when he retired from the office of Treasurer, he 
devoted his entire attention to real-estate transactions. He has become a large 
owner of timber tracts and farm lands, besides possessing a great amount of valua- 
ble city property. He erected and owns the most substantial business blocks in the 
city. The leading hotel is his property, and in all affairs he has been enterprising 
and progressive, and has greatly benefitted the city. In 1886 he organized the 
Oconto National Bank, and has served as its president since its organization. In 
the fall of 1888 he organized the Citizens' Light & Fuel Company, which furnishes 
electric light to Oconto. This corporation has been very successful and owns one 
of the most satisfactory electric-lighting plants in the West. In 1892 he organized 
the Oconto Land Company, a corporation formed to deal in real estate in all sec- 
tions of the United States. Its capital is $100,000, and Mr. Beyer is the president. 
In all matters organized for the benefit of the city he is foremost. He has been in- 
strumental in forming two railroad organizations which built lines into Oconto. The 
St. Paul Eastern Grand Trunk Railroad Company constructed fifty-six miles from 
Oconto to Clintonville, when it sold out, and the road is now part of the North- 
western system. The Oconto Southwestern is another road with which he was in- 
timately associated. This road connects Oconto with the Chicago, Milwaukee & 
St. Paul system. Mr. Beyer is also vice-president of the Fort Howard Lumber 
Company. He devotes most of his attention to real-estate transactions, and is prob- 
ably one of the largest taxpayers in the county. Many poor men owe the possession 
of their farms to him. Being a good judge of human nature, he has placed a large 
number of men on lands owned by him, and enabled them to pay for the same out 
of their earnings from the farm. He has always treated these men liberally, has 
been very lenient to them, and in times of depression has bravely stood by his debt- 
ors. He is generous in all things, and many hearts have been lightened and many 
of the poor relieved of their burdens through him. He has experienced the pangs 
of poverty and understands its burdens, and therefore knows that kindness and as- 
sistance are due to all deserving men who are in need. 

He is a member of the Otld Fellows and Ancient Order of United Workmen. 
He was formerly active in lodge work, and has passed through all the chairs of the 



662 HKXIRAI'IIUAI. DICTIONARY AND I'ORIRAn- GAI.l.KRV UK Till': 

Odd Fellows' lodge. Politically he affiliates with the Republicans, and while in no 
sense a politician, takes a deep interest as a citizen in the success of his party at the 
polls. He was married, in 1873, to Miss l-'annie Page, of Oconto. One daughter, 
Mildred E., has blessed this marriage. 

Such is a brief sketch of one of the most remarkable careers outlined in this 
work. Mr. Beyerls life has been marked by extremes. His boyhood was passed in 
most abject poverty. His educational opportunities were limited to two terms in a 
common school and four months at a business college. He has been self taught to 
a great extent, liut in the school of experience most of his knowledge has been ob- 
tained. His early life was one constant struggle His success has been earned by 
hard work, steady applicantion and honorable methods. His career proves most 
forcibly that if a young man is endoweci with necessary business sense, he can, with- 
out the aid of relatives or friends, make a success of life, notwithstanding early pov- 
erty and lack of educational opportunities. Mr. Beyer started in Oconto, the 
poorest of its poor boys, and has become one of its wealthiest and most respected 
citizens. His life should prove a lesson to the young, and should convince the 
most skeptical that economy, industry and integrity are the foundation stones of 
prosperity. 

IRENUS KITTRED(;E HAMILTON, 

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. 

ONE who has contributed largely to the advancement and material prosperity of 
the Badger State, and who is still concerned with certain of her most im- 
portant industries, the subject of this sketch well merits consideration in this con- 
nection, even though he now retains his residence in another State. 

In the town of Lyme, New Hampshire, there was born in December, 1830, Ire- 
nus K. Hamilton. Of Scotch-Irish descent, his immediate ancestors were stalwart 
sons of New England. Both the Scotchman and the New Englander are strongly 
marked in Mr. Hamilton. His paternal grandfather was Dr. Cyrus Hamilton, of 
Lyme, New Hampshire; his maternal grandfather was Dr. Jonathan Kittredge, of 
Canterbury, New Hampshire, both well-known physicians in their State. His father 
was Deacon Irenus Hamilton, whose chief occupation was that of a farmer, but who 
also operated a saw and grist mill. He occupied high positions of trust and conti- 
dence in his State, and was at one time State Senator. The old family homestead 
was built by Dr. Cyrus Hamilton, and is still the greatest ornament of Lyme plain. 
Here were born Irenus K. Hamilton, Woodman C, Charles T., Alfred K., and one 
daughter, Mary Esther, who is now the wife of Dr. Henry M. Chase, of Lawrence, 
Massachusetts. Mr. W. C. Hamilton resides in P'ond du Lac, Wisconsin, and has 
been associated in business with his elder brother for many years. Charles T. died 
at the age of seventeen. Mr. Alfred K. Hamilton is a resident of Milwaukee, 
Wisconsin, and is well known in business and social circles. 

in October, 1S53, Mr. Hamilton was married to Miss Mary Louisa Waterbury, 
of Brooklyn, New York. To them were given two daughters. Amy and Louise, and 




J^^:^^. 



RKI'RKSENTATIVK MKN OK TllK I'MTKL) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 665 

two sons, Nathaniel W. and Irenus K., Jr. His eldest daughter is now the wife of 
Mr. R. J. O. Hunter, of Chicago; and his youngest daughter is Mrs. William Wal- 
ler, also of Chicago. Nathaniel W. married Miss Harriet Chase, of Chicago, and 
is in business in Denver, Colorado. The youngest child, Irenus K., Jr., has just 
completed his collegiate studies and is about to enter business life as an electrician. 
Mr. llaniilton's wife died in iS86, and in i88q he married her sister, Mrs. Charlotte 
L. Williamson, of Boston, Massachusetts, who has one daughter, Caroline L. 

Mr. Hamilton's education was received at the public schools of Lyme and at 
St. Johnsbury Academy, Vermont. It was in the home life and at school that Mr. 
Irenus K. Hamilton and his brothers learned to work and to la}' the foundations of 
those habits of industry for which they have been noted in all their subsequent 
career. Then "boys were made for work and not for play," and the lad of the 
present generation would think he was having anything but an easy time if brought 
up in a similar manner. 

Immediately upon the completion of his course at the celebrated academy Mr. 
1 lamilton began his business training, and found employment in a general store at 
St. Johnsbury. The same thoroughness which had characterized his home and 
school tasks was carried into his mercantile life. This soon attracted the attention 
of (lovernor Fairbanks, then at the head of the great scale manufactory of E. & T. 
Fairbanks & Company, who offered him the position of bookkeeper to their New 
\'c)rk iiranch. At the end of a year and a half the manager of the New York house, 
Mr. Charles b'airbanks, was obliged to go to Europe on account of his health. His 
position was offered to Mr. Hamilton, who filled it to the entire satisfaction of his 
employers for the ne.xt eighteen months, at the end of which time Mr. Fairbanks 
returned. It was during this period that Mr. Hamilton learned more thoroughly 
the advantages of persistence, the study of minute details, self-reliance and honor- 
able business methods, — all of which qualities have since characterized his life. 
But in spite of the flattering offers of the Fairbanks Company to continue in their 
employ, it seemed to Mr. Hamilton that it was now time for him to go in business 
for himself. Accordingly, he left New York and connected himself with A. Latham 
& Company, car, locomotive and general machinery manufacturers, at White River 
[unction, X'ermont. The financial depression of 1854 wrought such changes that 
tile company went out of business. F"ree to carry out plans which he had been 
contemplating for some time, in the suinmer of 1855 Mr. Hamilton went West, and 
after careful investigation decided to go into the lumber business with his brother, 
.Mr. W. C. Hamilton, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. They erected a sawmill, entered 
lands, and conducted a satisfactory business for twelve years. In 1868, for the pur- 
pose of enlarging their interests, they sold out in Fond du Lac, and, in connection 
with Mr. A. C. Merryman, erected a gang and circular mill at Marinette, Wiscon- 
sin. They acquired large tracts of pine lands on the Menomonee river and its 
branches. In 1S73 the company became a corporation under the name of the Ham- 
ilton & Merryman Company. Of this corporation Mr. I. K. Hamilton is the presi- 
dent, Mr. W. C. Hamilton, vice-i^resident, and Mr. A. C. Merryman, secretary. In 
connection with the mill, in 1875 they opened a yard at the corner of Loomis and 



666 BlOORAl'lIlCAL DICTIONARY AND I'OR TRAl r (lALDKRY OF THE 



Twenty-second streets, Chicago, and bought three vessels to convey the lumber 
from the mill to the yard. Their business has amounted to 30,000,000 feet per 
annum. 

In the same year that the yard in Chicago was established, Mr. Hamilton re- 
moved his residence to that city, as manager of the Chicago interests, to the great 
regret of his many warm friends in F"ond du Lac, where he had proved himself an 
honorable and highly respected citizen. 

The Hamilton & Merryman Company are owners of valuable tracts of timbered 
lands in Michigan, under which there have been found to exist rich deposits of iron 
ore and other minerals. On one section, at Iron Mountain, Michigan, is located the 
famous Hamilton iron mine, which has the deepest iron shaft in the country, — 1,400 
feet. In addition to these interests each member of the corporation is a large owner 
in the Marinette & Menomonee Paper Company, of Marinette, Wisconsin, an im- 
mense establishment with a daily capacity of si.xty tons of paper manufactured from 
wood pulp. The rapidly developing lumber trade of the South, and especially in 
the pine lands of Louisiana, as well as other interests, are likewise part of the ac- 
tivities of these progressive business men. 

Mr. Hamilton is a director in the American Exchange National Bank, of Chi- 
cago, and of the First National Bank of Englewood. In this capacity, as well as in 
all others, he has the thorough respect and confidence of all who know him. At 
St. Luke's Hospital he has for many years done valuable service as trustee. He 
gives his membership, warm personal interest and practical support to a number of 
charitable societies of various denominations, as well as to those of the Protestant 
Episcopal Church, of which he and his family are members. 

Although of a most friendly nature and always welcomed in social circles, Mr. 
Hamilton finds his chief enjoyment in the simple pleasures of home life. Quiet and 
unobtrusive, ever modest in the advancement of his views, his advice is widely 
sought and his influence has been and is most helpful and powerful in the develop- 
ment of Chicago and the Northwest. 

In his political views Mr. Hamilton is a Republican, and on that ticket was 
elected to represent his district in the Wisconsin Legislature in 1868-Q, but, having 
no liking for political life, he refused further honors along that line. 



HON. RICHARD WEAVER, 

SUSSEX. 

HON. RICHARD WEAVER is of English nativity, his grandfather, William 
Weaver, having been born in Tenderden, county of Kent, England, January 
5, 1767; and his wife, Mary, at old Romney, county of Kent, her demise occurring 
in 1819. Her husband survived her many years, the date of his death being July 3, 
1845. Their son, James Weaver, father of our subject, was born at old Romney, 
where he married Miss Elizabeth Fielder; by occupation he was a farmer. March 
II, 1830, he and his family, including Richard, who was born August 25, 1827, em- 
barked on the brig Emma, bound for New York, at which port they landed on the 




'?■ J I 



^'^? e^j^r 



RKl'KKSKNrATlVIi MKN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 669 



i/tli of April l'()lli)\vini^. They were accompanied by brothers and sisters of James 
Weaver, makin>i a i)arty of fifteen. They at first located in Oneida county, New 
York, and engaged in fanning. Here they remained until 1S37 and then removed 
to the great Northwest and located in Lisbon, Waukesha county, Wisconsin. There 
Richard obtained as much of an education as was possible in a new and unsettled 
country, and also assisted his father on the farm until he was twenty-one years old. 
He then bought a small farm not far distant and engaged in the business of hop- 
raising, which he continued very successfully until 1873. In that year he formed a 
partnership with his brother William, — the firm title being R. Weaver & Brother, 
— for the purpose of dealing in hops on an extensive scale. In this connection he 
was obliged to travel extensively, having as regular customers many of the leading 
brewers of Chicago, St. Louis, Louisville, Cincinnati, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Green 
Bay and other important cities. The firm still exists and enjoys great prosperity. 

By his keen foresight Mr. Weaver observed, in 1882, that the hop crop of the 
year would undoubtedly be a small one; this view was confirmed by private advices 
from England and Germany, and so he at once began buying, in the States of Cali- 
fornia, Oregon and Washington, all the hops he could purchase. He began con- 
tracting for them at fifteen cents per pound, and as the price kept advancing he 
continued to buy. In that way he had purchased 800 bales before any were sold. 
The price steadily advanced, and after three months he disposed of his stock of 
hops with a profit to his credit of over $50,000. The amount involved in this deal 
was about half a million dollars and the business was transacted on a cash basis. 
For one single purchase of hops Mr. Weaver drew his check for over $25,ckx), 
while others of less amount at various times were for five, ten or fifteen thousand. 

Mr. Weaver is a director and the vice-president of the Waukesha National 
Bank, one of the soundest and best managed financial institutions in the North- 
west, and is president of the Park Hotel Company, of Sault de Ste. Marie, Michi- 
gan. He has large real-estate interests in the .State of Missouri; a fine farm at 
Sussex and other real estate in that vicinity. In addition to the foregoing, he holds 
a large amount of mortgages on choice property at different points. 

Politically he is a pronounced Democrat and has represented his district in the 
Sate Legislature, — in 1878, when he was elected to the Assembly over Hon. Joseph 
Johnson, Republican and Greenbacker, by a majority of 233; and in 1879, when he 
was elected to the Senate, defeating, by a majority of seventy-one, Hon. E. Beau- 
mont, who had never before been beaten. He has also been Assessor, and chair- 
man of the Town Board. In his religious belief, Mr. Weaver is true to the faith of 
his childhood, and is a member and communicant of the Episcopal Church, to which 
he has ever been a liberal contributor. 

On the 22d of November, 1848, he was married to Miss Rhoda Stone, of Sussex. 
They have one child, a daughter, now the wife of D. P. Topping, the leading mer- 
chant of Sussex. 

Mr. Weaver is truly a self-made man and owes his prosjierity entirely to his 
own efforts. He is a most active business man and heartily co-operates in all 
movements tending to advance the prosperity of the county and State in which he 
dwells. 



670 JJIOGRAI'IIICAL DICTIONARY AND I'ORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



Of the fifteen members of the Weaver family who sailed for America in 1830, 
seven are still living, — a fact that argues well for the constitutional vigor of the 
family. At a reunion held at Sussex, October 16, 1875, there were present 227 of 
the descendants of those who braved the perils of the deep over half a century ago 
to make for themselves a name and fame in what was at that time almost an un- 
broken wilderness. 



HON. SAMUEL D. HASTINGS, JR., 

GREEN BAY. 

Samuel Dexter Hastings, Jr., was born in Philadelphia, June 19, 1841, and is the 
son of Samuel D. and Margaretta (Shubert) Hastings, the former one of the most 
prominent citizens of Wisconsin, and of world-wide reputation as a temperance 
reformer. Our subject's parents came West in 1844 and located in Walworth 
county, Wisconsin, where they resided for seven or eight years, going from there to 
La Crosse. It was in the latter city that Samuel obtained the major portion of his 
primary education, he having attended school for a short time previous at Geneva. 
At the age of seventeen he entered Beloit College, taking at first the preparatory 
course, and graduating at that institution in 1863. He then went to Madison, 
where he began the study of law in the office of Abbott & Hutchinson, which con- 
tinued until he became a student in the Albany (New York) Law School, graduating 
there in 1865. He at once entered upon the practice of his profession, and 
formed a partnership with E. W. Keyes, of Madison, the firm name being Keyes & 
Hastings. This connection continued until August, 1867, when he removed from 
Madison to Green Bay, and entered into partnership with E. H. Ellis. The law 
firm of Ellis & Hastings continued very successfully for two years, when George G. 
Greene became associated as a member, and Ellis, Hastings & Greene were the 
leading lawyers of this section. In 1870 Mr. Ellis was elected Judge of the Circuit 
Court, which necessitated his withdrawal from the firm, which was continued as 
Hastings & Greene until January. 1884, when Mr. Hastings took his seat on the 
circuit bench, to which he had been elected the preceding May. To this position 
he has since been re-elected, and for ten years has filled it with a degree of ability 
that has won unqualified commendation from all. 

Prior to his first election to this position he was very favorably mentioned for 
the vacancy on the supreme bench caused by the death of Hon. E. G. Ryan, and 
the elevation of Hon. Orsanius Cole to the Chief Justiceship. At various times 
since, his name has been used in connection with other vacancies that have occurred 
in that body. When elected to the Circuit Judgeship it has been as a non-partisan, 
and he has received strong support from the best element of all parties. 

While practicing at the bar. Judge Hastings was engaged in all the important 
litigation in his section of the country, and his firm numbered among its clients the 
heavy lumber concerns in the region near and north of Green Bay. 

Judge Hastings is interested as a stockholder and director in the Kellogg Na- 
tional Bank, of Green Bay, the Oconto National Bank, of Oconto, the Green 



KKTRKSKMAl 1\ K MKN Ol I 111. UMIKI) S lAllCS ; WISCONSIN XOI.U.MK. 673 



Bay & Fort Howard Gas and Electric Light Company, and the Green Bay Planing 
Mill Coini)an\ . Me is also a stockholder in the Green Bay Carriage Company. 
Since its organization he has been president of the Green Bay Public Library, and 
he was largely instrumental in aiding the late R. B. Kellogg, the founder of the 
library, to perfect the various details of its organization, and has since been the 
controlling spirit in its management. 

Judge Hastings holds the position of special lecturer in the law department of 
the Wisconsin State University at Madison, and has twice lectured there on the 
subject of taxation. 

In 1863 he was married to Miss Mary C. Kendall, and b^' this marriage has had 
three children, two of whom, Mary C. and an infant daughter, are dead, and one 
daughter, Lillian M., is living. Mrs. Hastings died in 1868. 

In 1872 Judge Hastings was united to Miss Hetta Sue Clajjp, of Kenosha, and 
of this union have been born five children, two of whom survive, Samuel D. and 
Florence. Maxwell, Leroy and Edward died in infancy. 

Judge Hastings' success, both at the bar and on the bench, is due entirely to 
his own efforts, and his career is one to which both himself and his family can 
point with just pride. 



HON. DAVID HAMMEL, 

AI'PI.ETON. 

D.W'ID HAMMEL was born in Gemunden, Rhenish Prussia, November 26, 
1838, being the youngest of the nine children of Peter and Frederika (Gamiel) 
Hammel. His fath-er was by occupation a butcher and stock-raiser, and died in 
185.S. 

David attended school in his native town until his fourteenth year, when he 
emigrated to America, and a few years later was followed 1)\- his motlier, who there- 
after resided in this country until her death, in 1884. 

Our subject upon his arrival proceeded to Syracuse, New York, where for about 
a year he attended school, and then went to Ithaca, in the same State, where for a 
similar period he continued to devote himself to his studies. Upon leaving school 
he entered the employ of his brother, who was engaged in the dry-goods business 
in Ithaca, and to this occupation he devoted himself for the next two or threeyears. 
In 1857 or 1858 he removed to Hamilton, Ontario, where he started in the cigar 
business, which he conducted for several years on his own account, with success. 

In 1866 he became imbued with a desire to move Westward, and having friends 
in Milwaukee he made that city his destination. Arriving there, however, he did 
not tarry, but proceeded to Appleton, and soon after his arrival here established his 
present business, that of dealing in draught and driving horses. He also engageil 
in the mercantile business, starting a general store, which however he discontinued 
after two or three years and devoted himself exclusively to the horse business, in 



674 UKlC.KAI'illCAI. DICriONARV AND roRIKAIT GAI.l.F.KV OF TIIF 

which he has been continuously engaged ever since. His specialty is entirely 
draught and driving horses, and he has large and commodious stables wherein his 
stock is kept. He buys and sells in all portions of the country and formerly im- 
ported choice varieties of horses, but not finding it a profitable venture, this branch 
of the business was discontinued some years since. 

His business has been a profitable one, and Mr. Hammel ranks with the wealthy 
citizens of Appleton. In addition to his personal business he is interested as a 
stockholder and director in the Commercial National Bank, one of Appleton's 
strongest monetary institutions. 

Mr. Hammel has been identified for a number of years with the Democratic 
party, and has been elected on his party's ticket to various offices of honor and 
trust. He is now serving his second term as Treasurer of the school district, and 
was a member of the Wisconsin Legislature in 1876-7. While in the Legislature 
he served on several important committees, prominent among which may be men- 
tioned that of insurance and banking. He is also a member of a number of secret 
organizations and societies. The nature of his business necessitates his traveling 
a good deal, and in addition to this he has made several extended journeys, — Flor- 
ida and other points being among the places visited. 

Mr. Hammel was united in marriage, January 21, 1861, to Miss Lena Vogel, 
who like himself is a native of Rhenish Prussia, and to them havelaeen born eight 
children, seven of whom, — four daughters and three sons, — are still living. The 
eldest daughter is married and resides in Neenah; the others live at home. 



HON. JOSEPH H. WOODNORTH, 

MILWAUKEE. 

JOSEPH HENRY WOODNORTH, the present .Senator from the twenty-first 
Wisconsin Senatorial district, is a native American, though his parents were 
both of English birth. He was born in New York city on December 17, 1845, and 
is the son of Skidmore and Sarah {ncc Astley) Woodnorth, who came from England 
in 1842 and settled in the American metropolis, where the husband engaged in his 
trade of a merchant tailor and became moderately well-to-do. In 1856 the father 
of our subject became attracted by the promises of the West and removed to Wau- 
paca, Wisconsin, where he engaged in farming in the outskirts of that town. Here 
our subject received his entire education in the public school, which''he attended 
until he was sixteen years of age. 

When President Lincoln issued his call for volunteers to assist in putting down 
the war of the Rebellion, Mr. Woodnorth, then seventeen years of age, promptly 
responded and enlisted in the Twenty-first Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infan- 
try. He served faithfully and bravely with his regiment until July 3, 1864, when he 
was sent to the hospital at Nashville, suffering with an attack of malarial fever as 
a result of the exposures incident to the Atlanta campaign. While en route to join 



:<ErRESl£NTATlVt: MEN OK IHK UNIIEI) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 677 

his regiment he was detailed as Orderly on the staff of General Thomas, his activity 
and zeal being his chief recommendation to promotion. He was brevettcd Captain 
in June, 1S65, and served in the Inspector General's department until discharged, 
August 15, 1865. In its three years of service the Twenty-first Wisconsin did some 
of the hardest fighting of any regiment in the Union army, and the record made 
by its officers and men, at Perryville, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Tunncll Hill, 
Buzzard's Roost, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, Resaca, Atlanta, etc., is 
imperishable. Throughout his military career Captain Woodnorth displayed a 
high order of resolution and other soldierly qualities, and similar traits have won 
for him success in private and i)uhlir life, which latter he entered after leaving the 
army, in August, 1865. 

Upon his return to Waupaca, Mr. Woodnorth retired to his father's homestead 
farm, in the cultivation of which he assisted the following two years. In 1867 he 
entered the political arena and was elected City Marshal, serving three years. 

In 1871 H. C. Mumbrue employed Mr. Woodnorth to take charge of the Gill's 
Landing warehouse on the Wolf river. This was before the advent of the railroads 
and all freight for the entire northern country then came up the Wolf and was dis- 
tributed from Gill's Landing. He remained here one year and then engaged in 
merchandising with H. C. Mumbrue at Waupaca. In 1874 he formed a^partnership 
with H. C. Mumbrue in the drug business, which continued to 1877, and was suc- 
cessful from its inception until burned out, in 1877, when the present drug business 
of Mr. Woodnorth was established. 

In political life Mr. Woodnorth is a strong Democrat and to-day there is no 
man in northern Wisconsin better known or more highly esteemed than he, His 
services in the aid of his party have been constant and very effective and his meth- 
ods have always been above reproach and honorable in the extreme. For ten 
years, from 1876 to 1886, he occupied the position of City Superintendent of Public 
Schools, with the exception of one year, and was also chief of Wapaca fire depart- 
ment from 1873 to 1883. In May, 18S8, President Cleveland appointed him Regis- 
ter of United States Land Office at Menasha, Wisconsin, but when President 
Harrison was elected, the following November, Mr. Woodnorth lost no time in re- 
signing his position, the resignation to take effect July i, i88g. In 1879 Mr. Wood- 
north was elected Register of Deeds for Waupaca county and re-elected in 1881, 
liolding the position until January i, 1885. In 1890 he was elected State Senator for 
the twenty-first senatorial district, his term e.\piring January i, 1895. O" Septem- 
ber T,o, 1894, President Cleveland again recognized the valuable services rendered 
the party by Mr. Woodnorth and he was appointed United States Pension Agent 
for the Milwaukee district, which embraces Wisconsin, Minnesota and North and 
South Dakota. This office is a most responsible one, as more than $8,000,000 is 
annually disbursed. 

In 1884 Mr. Woodnorth was one of the Prcsitlenlial Llectors for Wisconsin. 
He has also ably represented his party on the State Central committee for four 
years. 

.Aside from ijolitical services .Mr. Woodnorth mati'rialiy assisted the founding 
and Iniilding uj) of the Wisconsin V^-lcrans' i lomc at \Vau])U(a. i Ic is ever alive 



678 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK THE 

to the interests of the old soldiers and has served as member on the Board of 
Trustees since the formation of the home, and has during that time acted continu- 
ally as its secretary, devoting tlie most of his time and energies to the interest of 
said home for the past seven years. 

Socially also he is much esteemed. Few men in the State of Wisconsin have 
a greater share of the respect of all classes and parties than Mr. Woodnorth. His 
thorough honesty, kindness of heart and accessibility have told upon the public 
mind and he is to-day a better representative of the common people of northern 
Wisconsin than any other man in Wisconsin. Unlike most men of position he is a 
man of good fellowship and full of that benevolence which takes a practical form. 
As an old friend describes him, Mr. Woodnorth is always the same genial good fel- 
low, overflowing with a genuine, wholesome, happy disposition; at the same time 
he is a man of force and keen tact, quick to solve intricate problems and to judge 
their merits, often mastering the whole field while others are still feeling in the dark 
for the gateway. 

On December 26, 187 1, Mr. Woodnorth married Miss Irene E. Vaughan, of Wau- 
paca. They are the parents of one child, a daughter, Blanche. 

In religious sentiment Mr. Woodnorth is a Protestant and attends and supports 
the Episcopal Church, though he is not a member. He is well versed on all sub- 
jects of the day and is generally well informed. He has traveled extensively on 
the American continent and during 1886 made a si.x-months' tour of the British isles 
and continental Europe. 

In addition to his official position Mr. Woodnorth is interested in the Wau- 
paca Starch and Potato Company, a very successful corporation of which he is the 
president. He is also director in the National Bank of Waupaca and vice- presi- 
dent of the State Park Association of Milwaukee. 



JOHN R. MORGAN, 



JOHN RODGERS MORGAN is not only one of the oldest, but is also one of 
the best known and most conservative men in the lumber business in northern 
Wisconsin. For more than thirty-nine years he has been actively engaged in this 
line of trade in Oshkosh, and he is looked upon as authority in all matters pertain- 
ing to the trade. Mr. Morgan was born in Wales, on the gth of January, 1832, a 
son of Thomas and Catherine (Davies) Morgan. When he was about a year old 
his parents crossed the Atlantic to the United States and located in Oneida county. 
New York, where his father began farming. They subsequently removed to Herki- 
mer, in the same State, and later went to Cattaraugus countj', where in the public 
schools John R. acquired his education. His educational privileges were limited, 
but these he utilized and afterward he was permitted to attend the Rushford Acad- 
emy, in Allegany county. New York, for one year. At the age of twenty he dis- 
continued his studies, having obtained a good practical education, and began to 




V^^^, /fl /^iyC^/ y 



oiyi'^ 



KKl'RKSKXrAllNK MEN OF TIIK IjNITKI) SIATKS; WISCONSIN VOl.UMK. 6Sl 

work at the carpenter's trade, which he followed for some time in pursuit of for- 
tune. I'or a time he was employed in various lines of work, but afterward formed 
a partnership with his brother and began contracting in a small way, building 
houses, barns, and other small structures. 

The year 1855 witnessed the emigration of Mr. Morgan to the West. In the 
spring of that year he arrived in Wisconsin and took up his residence in Oshkosh, 
where he and his brother obtained work in a planing-mill owned by J. G. Bailey. 
A year later they bought out their employer and started in business for themselves, 
— young and ambitious men, who anticipated success and determined to secure it if 
it could be done by labor and perseverance. It seemed that their hopes were des- 
tined to be realized, but at the end of three months their entire plant was destroyed 
by fire and the young men found themselves in debt. Undiscouraged by this calam- 
ity the brothers rebuilt, and in 1857 the partnership of Morgan, Watts & Jones was 
formed and began the manufacture of sash, doors and blinds. In i860 their plant 
was again destroyed by fire, but, Fhoenix-like, it arose from the ashes, and the Mor- 
gan brothers entered upon a season of prosperity which continued for some time. 
Their output had to be steadily increased in order to meet the growing demand, 
and the}' operated two mills, finding a ready sale for their product. In 1868 they 
sold their interest in this business and organized the firm of Morgan Brothers, for 
the manufacture of lumber. In this line, as in all others, they prospered, success 
rewarding their earnest and industrious efforts, but in respect to fires they were 
peculiarly unfortunate, and in 187 1 they again suffered great loss through flames, 
which destroyed their mill. Again, in 1874 and 1875, they saw much of their prop- 
erty ascend in fire and smoke, but through it all they have maintained an undaunted 
spirit, a ceaseless energy and an unbounded activity, which have made them take 
up their work with renewed zeal. In 1882 Albert T. Morgan was admitted to a 
partnership in the business, under the firm name of Morgan Brothers & Company, 
and their lumber interests have constantly grown in volume and in profit until they 
now have one of the leading lumber enterprises in northern Wisconsin. 

The gentleman whose name heads this record has confined his attention prin- 
cipally to this line of trade, but, as his financial resources have increased, he has 
made judicious investments in other ways and is now vice-president of the German- 
American Bank, and is a stockholder in the Union National Bank, of Oshkosh, and 
the Wisconsin National Bank, of Milwaukee. 

On the 6th of June, 1857, Mr. Morgan was united in marriage to Miss Kllen 
Hughes, daughter of Thomas Hughes, Esq., of Cattaraugus county. New York, and 
their union has been blessed with three children: Elnora, the wife of Millen E. 
Rounds, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, now a resident of Oshkosh; Grace, wife of 
Luther Davies, of Columbus, Wisconsin, also a resident of Oshkosh; and J. Earl, 
who married Miss Ada Gates, daughter of George W. Gates, of Oshkosh. Mr. 
Morgan is a member of the P'irst Congregational Church. 

In his political views Mr. Morgan is a Republican, and though he takes no 
active part as an office-seeker he is warmly interested in the questions of the day 
and in all that pertains to the growth and success of his i)arty. .Socially he is con- 
nected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 



682 moCKAI'llUAl, DICIIONARY AND PORTRAIT nALLP:RY OF THE 



Mr. Mor>:ran is truly a self-made man, whose success in life is the result of his 
own unaided efforts. He started out for himself empty-handed, and in his career 
has met with many obstacles and disadvantages such as would have caused many 
a man of less resolute spirit to falter and perhaps to fail, but through all he has 
pressed steadily forward to the goal and has achieved the fortune for which he was 
striving. Through all he has been honorable and upright, never swerving from the 
path of strict duty and rectitude, and by his systematic business methods and atten- 
tion to all details he has become one of the most prosperous of the citizens of Osh- 
kosh. For nearly forty years he has lived in this city and no man is held in higher 
regard, — a fact which indicates a most honorable career. 



IRA L. HENRY, 



IRA L. HENRY is a self-made man in the truest sense of the term and, like 
most of the successful business men of the country, has won his prosperity 
through enterprise, perseverance and well directed efforts. He has arisen from a 
humble position to one of affluence, and his progress has been steady and continual, 
the outcome of close application. 

He was born in Malahide, Elgin county, Canada, on December 24, 1844, and is 
a son of Ira and Polly (^Burce) Henry. His father was a successful man, whose 
principal occupation was farming, but who also engaged in business as a lumber 
dealer, hotel-keeper, and stage-owner. The family is of French-German descent. 
The grandfather came from France in the early part of the century and his wife 
was a native of Germany. The educational advantages which our subject received 
were those afforded by the common schools, which he attended for three months 
each winter until he was fifteen years of age. At this time his services were re- 
quired in the cultivation of the home farm, and he also worked at boating on the 
Saint Clair river whenever he thus found opportunity to earn some money. At the 
age of eighteen Mr. Henry left home and labored as a farm hand during the sum- 
mer and in the pineries through the winter, being thus employed until 1867, when 
he felt the necessity of a change and a desire to test the opportunities presented 
in the far western part of the United States. Accordingly he came to Wisconsin. 

Mr. Henry was at that time a young man of twenty-three, possessed of little 
money, but having a stout heart and a strong determination to win success. He 
first located at Clinton Junction, Wisconsin, where he served an apprenticeship at 
the carriage-maker's trade, a business which he continued for fifteen years. In 
1882 he came to Waupun and began business for himself with a capital of only 
$20, but it seemed sufficient for the man who had the temerity to depend solely 
upon his own unaided efforts and capacity for work. Previous to this time leather 
canes had been manufactured in small quantities by private parties, but had never 
been ])ui upon the market, and now Mr. Henry set to work to secure a preparation 
which would finish and polish the canes satisfactorily, and began to manufacture 



Rlil'KESENTATn K MKN OK I'HK UNITKU STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 685 

quite extensively. From the be^jinning his business has steadily increased until to- 
daj' it is one of the largest in the State. In 1887 he also added the manufacture of 
hickory crooks and clubs to his line, and probably manufactures more of these than 
any other man, firm or company in the United States. 

In 1892 Mr. Henry established a paper-box manufactorj', and this enterprise 
has also prospered from the start and is now one of the leading industries of Wau- 
pun. By integrity, industry and perseverance he has won success, and no man can 
show a cleaner business record. He makes the most of his opportunities, and his 
resolute purpose, strong determination, and indomitable will and energy have been 
the rounds of the ladder on which he has climbed from a humble position to one of 
afirtuence. His conduct in all mercantile transactions has been marked by scrup- 
ulously fair dealing, frankness and kindness and an abiding faith in the better side 
of human nature. 

Mr. Henrj- has been thrice married. Two children were born of the first union: 
Lottie May, now the wife of Adam Kitzman, of South Dakota, and Roy Austin, 
who is his father's assistant in business. In 1882 Mr. Henry was united in marriage 
to Miss Nettie Keech, of Jefferson county, Wisconsin, and they are the parents of 
two children: Frances Jeanette and Elizabeth Elmira. The family attend the 
Congregational Church of Waupun and contribute liberally to its support. 

In political faith Mr. Henry is a stanch Republican, but has never been an 
aspirant for political honors. Fraternally he is connected with the Masonic order 
and Knights of Pythias. His nature is that of a modest and unassuming man en- 
tirely free from ostentation or display, and this is manifest in his acts of charity and 
benevolence, which are so performed that the right hand may not know what the 
left is doing. He is a man of irreproachable habits, one whose public and private 
life is above censure, and he enjoys the confidence and regard of all with whom he 
has been brou<jht in contact. 



WILLIAM A. WEBL:R, 

WAl KESIIA. 

AMONG the young men of Wisconsin the subject of this sketch takes a prom- 
inent rank in the business world, and has continued with marked success the 
business established by his father in 1S62. 

William Andrew Weber was l)()rn in Milwaukee, October 9, 1857, and is a son 
of .Stephen and Rosina (Strabel) Weber. His father is a native of Bavaria. Ger- 
many, and learned the brewer's trade in Nuremberg, while still quite young. At 
the age of twenty-six years he bade adieu to family and friends and sailed for the 
New World, taking up his residence in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he embarked 
in the brewing business. In 1862 he removed to Waukesha and purchased the 
brewery of John Meyer, which he operated until 1884, with most excellent success. 
In that year he retired from active business and is now enjoying the reward of a life 
of toil in a hale and liearty old age. 



686 bk)GRai'Hu:al dictionary and i'uktrait gallery of the 



Our subject obtained his education in the Waukesha schools, which he'attended 
until he was fifteen years of age, at which time he entered his father's employ and 
for a number of years devoted himself to obtaining a thorough and complete 
knowledge of the business. In 1884 his father gave the entire brewery property to 
him and J. C. Land, who had married a sister of our subject, and for four years 
these gentlemen operated the plant, but at the expiration of that time Mr. Weber 
purchased Mr. Land's interest and has since conducted the business alone and with 
o-reat ability. The brewery is known as the Bethesda Brewery, and has a capacity 
of 12,000 barrels of beer annually. Only the celebrated Waukesha water is used in 
its manufacture, and it therefore has a purity seldom ever equaled. 

Mr. Weber was married, in 1879, to Miss Julia Dick, of Waukesha, and to them 
have been born seven children, — Stephen F., Killian, Marie, William A., Jr., Richard 
L., Rose and Paul C. 

Mr. Weber is connected with no religious organization, but his wife and chil- 
dren are members of the Catholic Church. In politics he is a Democrat and has 
been a member of both the town and village Board of Supervisors. He is an ardent 
sportsman, although he never allows pleasure to interfere with his business engage- 
ments. His success may be attributed to hard work and a thorough knowledge 
of every branch of his business, to the details of which he always gives his closest 
attention. 



HON. SIMEON MILLS, 



O IMEON MILLS was born in Norfolk, Litchfield county Connecticut, February 
1^ 14, 1810. His father, Martin Mills, was the son of Constantine Mills, a soldier 
of the Revolutionary war. His mother was the daughter of Clement Tuttle, also 
one of the heroes of the war for independence. In 181 1 his father removed to 
Ohio and became one of the pioneer settlers of the northern part of the State, and 
in that locality Simeon Mills was brought up to the active labor of farming in a 
new country, receiving at the same time a good common-school education At the 
a^e of twenty he engaged for a short time in teaching a district school, but soon 
procured a situation in a store, and, in consequence, abandoned that profession, de- 
voting his energies to mercantile pursuits for .some years thereafter. 

In May, 1834, he was married to Maria Louisa Smith, daughter of Church 
Smith, a native of Berkshire county, Massachusetts. In the spring of 1835 he made 
his first journey West, going around the upper lakes on the steamer Thomas Jeffer- 
son on its first trip to the city of Chicago, then a village of about 800 inhabitants. 
In 1836 he located in Wisconsin, and, upon the location of the seat of the govern- 
ment at the four lakes, determined to make that his future home. 

In pursuance of this determination, on the loth of June, 1837, he settled in 
Madison, erected a small building of hewn logs, sixteen by eighteen feet, inir- 



^ •v^ 





^/^^.£^tyUy 




REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 



chased a small stock of goods and opened the first store at the capital city of Wis- 
consin. At this time there was no mail route or mail between Madison and Mil- 
waukee, but in the fall of that year, he made a contract for carrying the mail be- 
tween those points until the first of July, 1842. The difficulties in getting the mail 
through twice a week, — with no houses between Madison and Aztalan and at rare 
intervals the remainder of the route, with streams and mlirshes unbridged and 
roads uncut, — cannot be easily understood or appreciated by the present generation 
as they fly over the country with the speed of the wind and talk with the antipodes 
as with next door neighbors. The task was accomplished, however, without the 
loss of a single trip during the existence of the contract, — a feat rarely performed 
at the present day, even with all the means that science and ingenuity have placed 
at our command. 

On the I2th of August, 1S37, Mr. Mills was ai)pointe(i the first Justice of 
the Peace of Dane county, and was probably the only one at that time be- 
tween Milwaukee and Dodgeville. In 1839 Dane county was organized and Mr. 
Mills was elected one of the County Commissioners and appointed Clerk of the 
Court, which latter office he held about nine years. He held the office of Terri- 
torial Treasurer when the State government was organized, and was elected the 
first Senator from Dane county and received a renomination, which he declined. In 
1848 he was appointed one of the Regents of the University of Wisconsin, and took 
an active part in the organization and commencement of the institution, purchas- 
ing its site and superintending the erection of its first building. In i860 he was 
appointed one of the trustees of the State Hospital for the Insane, being a most 
active member of the board for seventeen years, taking a deep interest in the 
erection of its buildings and the general management of affairs in and about the 
institution. He has been identified with public improvements and contributed 
largely to the prosperity of Madison. He invested all his gains in lands and the 
erection of buildings, making their care the business of his life. 

In 1861, at the breaking out of the Rebellion, he took an active part in the en- 
listment of troops, by extending material aid to the families of the earliest volun- 
teers, and was appointed Paymaster General by Governor Randall, and during the 
first year of the war disbursed more than v$ 1,500,000 of the war funds of the State. 
Mr. Mills was one of the organizers, and is to-day an active vice-president of the 
State Historical Society, and his efforts have contributed in no small degree to the 
advancement of one of Wisconsin's most noted institutions. 

Mr. Mills is remarkable for quickness of perception, sound judgment, thorough 
self-reliance, great energy and unwavering perseverance. His knowledge is of 
that practical kind that insures business success when combined with systematic 
habits, and those he possesses. He has aided in building schools, colleges and 
churches and in developing the resources of a new country, has encouraged his 
his fellowmen, by precept and example, to attain a higher civilization, and to him 
more than to any other man is credit due for assistance rendered from year to year 
in the development of the capital rit\- from a primitive village to one of the most 
important cities of the .State. 

In religion he has always rlaiinrd to l)c orthodox, luuiiig l)ecn earl\' taught to 



690 lilOGRArillCAL IHCIIONARY AND I'ORrRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

believe that "God foreordained whatsoever comes to pass." He believes that the 
Creator and Ruler of all thino^s will provide and care for the future as for the past, 
and, Iki\ Iiil;- an abiding? faith in the wisdom and benevolence of God, is satistied 
to trust the hereafter entirely in his hands. He does not believe that Providence 
ever helped those who failed to help themselves, or that the intercession of the 
creature with the Creator ever lifted the weight of a feather from the burdens we 
bear, or added a single grain to the products ot tlic land. 

In i8q3 Mr. Mills published a neat little volume, entitled " Readings from the 
Hook of Nature," which is attracting considerable attention and many favorable 
coniniriils. In the book he gives this as the law determining matter from sensa- 
tion: .\n\ thing that can be made subject to the action and control of any mechan- 
ical device or machine is material; but that which machinery can not in any manner 
act upon or control is only sensation. From this he demonstrates that light, heat, 
electricity magnetism and colors, being all subject to mechanical action and con- 
trol, are material, or imponderable matter. He also demonstrates beyond any rea- 
sonable doubt, by illustrated experiments, that water is the element, and that oxy- 
gen, and hydrogen gas are compound, combustible substances, and not the compon- 
ent parts of water. 

Mrs. Mills, a lady of most excellent qualities, departed this life June 10, 1884, 
tleeply mournt'd by all with whom she had been brought in contact, and her mem- 
ory is enshrined in the hearts of her family and friends. General and Mrs. Mills 
were the parents of Hve children, but only two are now living, — a son, Arthur Con- 
stantine, and a daughter, Genevieve M. Mr. Mills' residence is situated on Mon- 
roe avenue, one of the most beautiful of Madison's residence streets and a block 
from the lake of the same name, and it is one of the most comfortable and pleasant 
homes in the city. 



LEANDER CHOATE, 



IEANDER CHOATE, son of Nehemiah and Rebecca (Kimball) Choate, was 
-J born in Bridgetown, Maine, November 17. 1834. His ancestors, both ma- 
ternal and paternal, were among the early settlers of New England. His paternal 
grandfather was a drummer boy in the Revolutionary war. He moved from Essex 
county, Massachusetts to Maine about the year 1800, when the father of our subject 
was an infant in arms. Leander passed his early days in the manner of the New 
England boy of that day, — attending district school in the winter and working upon 
his father's farm in the summer season. His father was a man of limited means, 
who by hard work and economy had managed to remain free of debt, but owing to 
the unfortunate destruction of his house by fire he found himself some $250 in debt. 
Young Leander agreed to pa\- this indebtedness providing that he be permitted to 
leave home ami embark upon the workl on his own accoimt. He started out and 




^^-^^^-^^^^-^^^^ 



'^ 



^- 



RKTRESENTATIVK MKN OK IIIK LMIKI) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLl'ME. 693 



kept his word by payin<j the indebtedness in full. When he was about twenty years 
of age he was taken ill with typhoid fever, and was compelled to return home, where 
he remained for six months, and upon recovery was virtually without a dollar. 

At the age of twenty-one years he became an employe of the firm of Choate & 
Tollman, of Lynn, Massachusetts, with whom he continued for about eighteen 
months. He then purchased a package express route between Boston and Charles- 
town, and conductetl the business with a fair degree of success. 

In 1857 Choate & Tollman decided to move West, and young Choate being of- 
fered a tempting inducement, determined to come with them. They located in Osh- 
kosh, a city that Mr. Choate has since called " home." Messrs. Choate & Tollman 
purchased the interests of Danforth and Carter, of the lumber firm of Bra}', Dan- 
forth & Carter, and the business was conducted under the name of Bray, Tollman 
& Company until 1862. Our subject was an ei>/f>/ove o{ this firm, and superintended 
their interests in the woods. In 1862 Mr. Matt. Bray and Mr. Choate bought out 
the firm of Bray, Tollman & Company, and established the firm of Bray & Choate. 
Mr. Choate had no money then, but his business ability even at that time was of a 
high order. The father of Matt. Bray assisted the young men, and they launched 
upon a partnership that has continued up to the present time, and which death 
alone can sever. Mr. Choate was young, ambitious and energetic, and the new firm 
was successful from the outset. At various times they owned mills on the Oconto 
and the Wisconsin rivers. In iSqo the business became known as the Oshkosh Log 
and Lumber Company, and was incorporated with a capital of $500,000; of this cor- 
poration Mr. Choate is president. The company operates mills in the northern pen- 
insula of Michigan, and cuts about 40,000,000 of feet per annum. Mr. Choate is 
also president of the Lake Shore Lumber Company, of Tomahawk Lake, Wiscon- 
sin, which cuts i2,c.oo,ooo feet annually. In adtlition to the above lumber com- 
panies, he has an interest in the firm of Bray, Choate & Company, which also cuts 
about 12,000,000 of feet each year. Mr. Choate is also vice-president of the 
Bray & Choate Land Company, which extensively operates in pine lands and owns 
about 150,000,000 feet of standing timber in the Northwest. 

Mr. Choate has also become conspicuous as a financier. He is now vice-presi- 
dent of the Commercial Bank of Oshkosh; president of the First National Bank of 
Rhineland, Wisconsin, which is capitalized for $50,000 and has a surplus of $10,000; 
and was formerly president of the First National Bank of Merrill, of which Bray & 
Choate are the largest stockholders. He is also a director of the First National 
Bank of Marshfield, Wisconsin. He is ever ready to enter into any feasible under- 
taking that will benefit Oshkosh. He was identified with the water-works system 
for some time, and was also one of the organizers of the street railway. 

Politically Mr. Choate has always been a stanch and zealous Rei)ublican, — a 
firm believer in Republican principles, and a strong advocate of the doctrines of the 
party of advancement and progress. He has been Alderman in the City Council 
for two years. In 1882 he was the candidate of the party for the Mayoralty, and as 
an indication of the way he was esteemed it may be said that he reduced the usual 
Democratic majority by aI)out fifty per cent. 

In i860 Mr. Choate married Miss Adeline P. Choate, of Oshkosh. I-'ive chil- 



694 BIUGRAI'HICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTKAn' GALLERY OK THE 

dren, all of whom are dead, have resulted from this marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Choate 
are attendants of the Congregational church, of Oshkosh. 

Mr. Choate owes the position he now holds in the community entirely to his 
own efforts. He has confined himself to legitimate business transactions, has 
avoided speculation, and the fortune he has accumulated is but the natural result of 
sound business principles and steady application. As a man of business, no citizen 
of Oshkosh stands higher; as a citizen he is public spirited and is always in sympa- 
thy with those movements that tend to increase the prosperity of Oshkosh. 



P. E. BRADSHAW, 



PETER EDES BRADSHAW, now deceased, was for many years prominently 
connected with the commercial interests of Wisconsin, and his death was felt 
as a serious loss in business and social circles. He belonged to one of the old and 
leading New England families, which was founded in America by English emigrants 
as early as 1635, and they bore the name of Edes, but afterward the branch of the 
branch of the family from which our subject is descended, assumed Bradshaw as a 
surname, although the name of Edes will probably always be retained in some form 
or other. A native of Massachusetts, Mr. Bradshaw was born in Charlestown, now 
Boston, July 27, 1826, a son of Eleazer Edes and Martha (Walker) Bradshaw, the 
father being a sea captain. 

Our subject attended the common schools of his native city and acquired a 
good English education. Very early in his school training he developed a fondness 
for mathematics and civil engineering, which later led him to enter the civil-engi- 
neering office of Parker & Felton in Charlestown. In their employ he remained 
some years and subsequently was engaged in building the Fitchburg Railroad in 
Massachusetts and also the Iron Mountain Railroad in Wisconsin. In 1856, he en- 
gaged to make a survey of the old military road running from St. Paul, Minnesota, 
to Superior, Wisconsin, and this brought him to northern Wisconsin, where he re- 
sided until the time of his death, prominently identified with many of its leading 
interests. Upon the completion of the work which caused his removal to Superior 
he obtained a Government contract for the surveying and laying out of an Indian 
reservation, and when that work was accomplished he formed a partnership with 
Alexander Paul, who was then engaged in the fur trade. 

One year later, in 1859, Mr. Bradshaw bought out his partner's interest in the 
business, which he then successfully conducted alone until 1862, when he was joined 
by his brother John, who had lately arrived from the East, and who now became a 
partner in the concern. The firm carried on a very profitable and extensive busi- 
ness in Superior, continuing the trade at that place until 1876, when they removed 
to River Falls, Wisconsin, devoting their energies in that place to the same line of 
trade. The dissolution of the partnership occurred in 1880, when P. E. Bradshaw 





V y^^^^^a^''^- 



REl'kE.SENTATl\ E MEN OE IHE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN \'OLUME. 6q7 

houjfht out his brother's interest, after which he continued the business alone in 
River Falls, though under the old style of P. E. Bradshaw & Company until 1884, 
when he returned to Superior. The gradual advance of civilization had materially 
changed the nature of his business as carried on by the hardy fur traders of the 
Northwest and by the time our subject returned to Superior, his interests had de- 
veloped into a general-merchandise character, and he became proprietor of a gen- 
eral store. He was a capable and enterprising business man, and his well-directed 
efforts brought him abundant success, of which he was well deserving. 

For many terms Mr. Bradshaw served as United States custom officer at Su- 
perior, and when a change would occur in the administration of the Government 
he would regularl}' tender his resignation, but it was as regularly refused, as his fit- 
ness for the position and his faithful performance of duty were well known. In po- 
litical matters he adhered strictly to the Republican party and was a loyal defender 
of its principles. He hesitated not in expressing his views and neither fear nor 
favor could make him change his conscientious opinions, yet he was ever tolerant 
of the opinions of others, and though he might try to convince by argument he never 
used coercive measures. 

In 1888 Mr. Bradshaw closed out his mercantile business and was chosen vice- 
president of the First National Bank, of West Superior, of which he was one of the 
founders. He was also instrumental in organizing and was one of the original 
stockholders and the treasurer of the Douglas County Street Railway Company, 
which later became the Superior Rapid Transit Company, and held the executive 
position up to the time of his death. The nature of the enterprises with which he 
was connected after locating in Superior brought him into contact with many capi- 
talists and professional men scattered throughout the country, and the name of Peter 
Edes Bradshaw was a synonym for all that was honest and reliable. His life was 
pure and honorable: he was a thoroughly just man and had a profound regard for 
the rights of others. His sympathy for the suffering and unfortunate was sincere 
and deep, and the poor and needy always found in him a friend. 

Mr. Bradshaw was married, December 31, 1861, to Miss Sarah Syer, who, with 
with their six children, — Peter Edes, Martha W., Mary Syer, Grace Syer, James 
Syer and Leslie Edes, — survives him. He took the greatest delight in his home, 
being a man of strong domestic tastes, and could not do too much to enhance the 
happiness or promote the welfare of his wife and children. His leisure hours were 
always spent within his own portals, and upon his threshold he dropped his natural 
impetuosity of manner and became the gentle husband and father. His wife was 
not only his loved companion and helpmeet, but also his counsellor, and he never 
took any important step without her full understanding and approval. 

Mr. Bradshaw was exceedingly fond of travel and during his later years spent 
a considerable time in visiting the many points of note and interest throughout this 
country. It was upon one of these pleasure trips that he met with the accident 
which eventually terminated his life. While boarding a train near Livingston, 
Montana, he fell, striking his head, but at the time paid little attention to the injury, 
which appeared exceedingly slight. .Some time later he noticed that his eyesight 
was failing him, and a growing paralytic numbness was manifest in his limbs. He 
consulted the very best physicians throughout this countrv, !)ut none of them attrib- 



698 KIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONAKV AND I'ORlRAir GAl.l.KRV Ol- THE 



uted these to the fall, treating him, instead, for Bright's disease. Receiving no ben- 
efit from the attending physicians, he resolved to go abroad, and accompanied by 
his wife, he crossed the water to Europe, and at Dresden consulted the court physi- 
cian of Germany, who told him that he was not suffering from Bright's disease, but 
from some other cause, the nature of which he could not determine. Upon being 
told by Mr. Bradshaw of the fall which he had received the year previous the physi- 
cian promptly said that our subject's ailments were incurable, for the injury had 
been to the base of the brain and had brought on the paralysis. Anxious to reach 
home and the loved ones there, Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw at once started, and as 
soon as steam could bring them they again came to Superior. He lingered for 
some time, but passed away August 28, 1890, and was deepl}' and sincerely mourned. 
He had been a member of King Solomon's Lodge, at Charlestown, Massachusetts, 
and had taken the thirty-second degree of Scottish Rites in the Masonic fraternity; 
he also belonged to the Commandery of Knights Templar, at Hudson, Wisconsin. 
At his death civic societies, business men, social acquaintances, and neighbors 
and friends shared in the sorrow and extended to the family- their deep sympathy. 
One of the leading men of the State had passed awa>-, and had left a memory of an 
honorable, upright life, — a memory that will be kept green so long as any of his 
associates remain upon this side the dark river. 



DAVID G. ORMSBY, 

MILWAUKEE. 

THE history of a State, as well as that of a nation, is chiefly the chronicle of the 
lives and deeds of those who have conferred honor and dignity upon society. 
The world judges the character of a community by those of its representative citi- 
zens, and yields its tributes of admiration and respect for the genius, or learning, 
or virtues of those whose works and actions constitute the record of a State's 
prosperity and pride. And it is this record that offers for our consideration the 
history of men who, in their character for probity and benevolence, and the kindly 
virtues, as well as for integrity in the affairs of life, are ever affording to the young 
worthy examples for emulation, that they will do well to follow. 

David Green Ormsby, the subject of this sketch, was born in Lake county, 
Ohio, August 23, 1820, and is the son of Gideon and Esther (^Blair) Ormsby, both 
natives of Vermont, and members of old New England families. 

The Ormsby family came originally from Scotland, and the present members 
of the family in America are divided into two branches, descendants of two 
brothers, one a Whig and the other a Tory, whose political differences engendered 
such deep-seated animosity that one changed the spelling of the final ending of the 
family name to b-e-e, in order to be distinguished from his brother. The latter 
mode of spelling is more common in the South than in the North. 

David's boyhood was for the most part spent at work upon his father's farm, 
though he found time to attend the district school, where he obtained the meager 
educational advantages there afforded. He also attended a local seminary in Lake 
county, Ohio. 



REI'RESENTATIVK MKN OK lliK UMIKD MAIKS; WISCONSIN VOI.UMIC. 6qC) 



In .\i)ril. 184J, after havin.ij >fiven the matter careful thought, Mr. Ornisby and 
his brother John, with a pair of horses and a Uimlier wa,<,^on loaded with wooden 
l)owls, started for Wisconsin. After a three weeks' joiu-ney, during which time 
they paid expenses by selling some of their bowls, they reached Lisbon, where the 
team was sold for $200. One half of this belonged to our subject, but as 
he owed sixty dollars, his net balance was but forty dollars. Though not 
rich in money, he had what in that wikl country was of far more utility,— industry 
and energy,— and with this capital was am])!)- fitted to take uj) the arduous toils 
incident to life on the frontier. 

That summer he worked his uncle's farm, and the next fall, assisted by his 
father, who came out from Ohio, he built a log house on a claim he owned at Pe- 
waukee, selling it, however, the following spring for about $100; and it may here 
be mentioned that twenty-five years later he bought the land back again, with a 
brick house and lime kiln on it, for $10,500. 

Then, in company with his father and brother, Mr. Ormsby went to Lisbon and 
took up a claim and improved it. Having but little money, they labored under 
many disadvantages, being able to afford ohIn the necessities of life, and were 
forced to use an inferior quality of tools. An illustration of the value of money at 
that time (1844) may be comprehended from he fact that Mr. Ormsby then pur- 
chased two pairs of good four-year-old steers for forty-nine dollars. Four years later 
the claim was sold for but little more than the improvements had cost, and then 
they moved to Medina, Dane county, where each bought a farm of ("lovernment 
land. Our subject erected a lime-kiln on his property, and sold the product for a 
shilling a bushel. In i8so they built a saw-mill at Oxford, Marquette county, to 
which point they moved in 185 1, and the following year established a district 
school, and two years later they had a graded school of more than one hundred 
scholars. In the meantime they had platted their land, sold lots, and given away 
more to men who would improve them, until there was a town of six general stores 
one of which they operated themselves. They also had built what was for those 
days quite a large flour mill. The country rapidly became settled, money was 
plenty, business was good, and their enterprises most profitable. In a year or two, 
however, it became apparent that the soil was not lasting, being too sandy, and as 
a result the farmers moved away, which was a death-blow to the village. 

In 1856 our subject, in company with his lirothers. took an interest in a mill 
and pine lands, in which, owing to the tinancial crisis of 1857, they lost heavily. 
It was then decided that David should go to Erie, Pennsylvania, which he did, 
and establish a flour store, for the sale of the product of their mill. Trade opened 
well, but it did not continue good. He then formed a partnership with Henry 
Booth, under the firm name of Ormsby & Booth, and dealt in groceries, floin" and 
feed, and also manufactured cloth flour sacks ; and for a time this venture was 
quite successful. Later, however, money became scarce, and cotton being hard to 
obtain, owing to the blockade, paper sacks came into general use. Mr. Ormsliy in 
in 1 861 disposed of his interest in the business. 

His next venture was oil-refining in Krie, Penns\lvania, a new thing at that 



lUOGRAPHICAL DICTIUNARV AND I'URlRAir GALLERY OF THE 



time. He disposed of his interest in Erie, and in company with his brother, |. B. 
Ormsby, his former partner, Mr. Booth and a Mr. Hart engaged in refining oil at 
Oil Creek. In less than a year the company sold out to the Commercial Oil Com- 
pany, a corporation formed by themselves and V. M. Thompson. The magnitude 
of the concern may be understood from the fact that the revenue stamps on the 
deed of transfer, as required by law, amounted to $i,cxx). Shortly afterward the 
war closed, and oil dropped from $8 to $0.40 per barrel, which made the whole 
property nearly valueless. While engaged in oil refining in Erie, Mr. Ormsby 
shipped ten gallons of petroleum to Milwaukee in a beer keg. This was probably 
the first shipment of kerosene to reach Wisconsin. 

Mr. Ormsby then bought a half interest in a grocery and provision store at 
Titusville, Pennsylvania, which did a very profitable business. Not being able to 
give this business his personal attention, it was sold and his time devoted to con- 
ducting a lime-manufacturing plant at Erie, which he had purchased for $8,000. 

In 1865, he bought a third interest in the H. Jarecki Brass & Iron Works of 
Erie, Pennsylvania, now the Jarecki Manufacturing Company, whose entire capital 
at that time was $24,000. This enterprise has been successful. It employs now 
about 800 hands. The following fall, in company' with his old friend and former 
partner in the lime business, Mr. Robert Henry, he bought barley, which was most 
profitably converted into malt and sold. This little venture netted a profit of $1,600 
by the succeeding spring. In company with Mr. Henry and several others, he built 
two steam barges and some tow barges for the iron ore trade on the lakes, which 
paid very well. 

In ]868 Mr. Ormsby moved back to Wisconsin, purchased his old home and 
lime kilns, as previously mentioned, and entered upon the manufacture of lime. 
After the great Chicago fire there was an extraordinary demand for lime, and the 
profits for that year were nearly $14,000. A store was erected not far from the kilns 
and operated with success. A stone quarry was purchased at Summit, twelve miles 
from Chicago, but on account of lack of proper fuel for burning lime it could not 
be worked profitably. The Ormsby Lime Company was then organized, with quarry 
and works at Grafton and at Hayton, with a branch house at Chicago; the general 
ofifice being in Milwaukee, under charge of J. W. Ormsby. In 1874 our subject 
moved to Evanston, Illinois, to take charge of the Chicago trade. After a year's 
residence there he returned to Pewaukee, and two years later moved to Milwaukee. 
He had lived in Milwaukee but two years when he was taken ill, and sold out his 
stock in the Ormsby Lime Company, and bought of that corporation the Pewaukee 
property and again moved to that village. 

The Pewaukee business he conducted alone luitil 1887, when he admitted a 
partner, a Dane by the name of Nelson, and in 1891 the plant was leased to him. 
Mr. and Mrs. Ormsby have since 1887 several times visited Oakland, California, 
and the city of Washington with a view to selecting a site for a permanent home. 
After due deliberation they returned to Milwaukee, where they now reside. 

In 1884 Mr. Ormsby, in company with Messrs. Alfred Jarecki, and George and 
Gustave Goes, erected a chemical works at Wauwatosa. Not being satisfied with 
the results of the business, the former decided to retire. 




^, &rvnAJ^ 



KKI'RK.SKNl-Ari\K MKN < :]■ rilK IMIKD SIAIKS; W l.Sv-()N.SlN \()l.i:MK. 703 



At that time an effort was being made to raise funds to Imild a Ladies' Hall at 
Lawrence University, Appleton, and Mr. Ormsby determined to donate his stock in 
the corporation and $i 1,000 standing to his credit on the books of the company to 
tills project. Through this donation the trustees of the university were enabled to 
erect a building costing $_^o,ooo, which was named Ormsby Hall, in honor of Mr. 
Ormsby, who was the largest individual contributor. In 1894, he still farther aided 
the university by providing a fund to assist girls to attend college. It is known as 
the Orinsby Fund for the Education of Women, and is intended to be perpetual, 
hrom it, sums of money are to be loaned without interest to girls desiring to attend 
college, to be repaid by them when able. He has started the fund by a donation of 
$ 1 ,000. 

In his religious views, Mr. Ormsby is a believer in the doctrines of the Chris- 
tian faith as taught by the Methodist Church, and is a true and worthy member of 
that organization. In politics he does not mingle, though he is a member of the 
Republican party. His sole desire is to see the affairs of the country administered 
for the general good. 

Mr. Ormsby's home life is domestic antl hai)py. His wife, to whom he was 
married September 30, 1850, was formerly Miss Lucy Blair, a native of Ohio, and a 
woman of noble qualities of mind and heart. They have two daughters: Inez G., 
now the wife of Oscar Jarecki, of Erie; and Claribel, who resides at home. 

Since the foregoing sketch was prepared, Mr. Ormsby's earthly life has closed. 
His death occurred at one o'clock on Sunda\' morning, August ly, 1894, and came as 
a great surprise and shock to his fric:nds, as many who knew him supposed him to 
be in his usual health. 

The funeral services were in charge of his pastor, Dr. E. L. Eaton, of the Wash- 
ington Avenue Methodist Episcopal church, of which he was a member. Besides 
the relatives and friends there were present among his former pastors Rev. George 
Parsons, of Pleasant Prairie; Rev. W. W. Painter, of Chicago; Rev. Andrew Porter, 
of Sheboygan Falls; Rev. J. A. CoUinge, of Pewaukee; Rev. Dr. Halsey and Rev. 
J. W. Patton, of this citj'; and Rev. Dr. Creighton, the Presiding Elder of Milwau- 
kee district. Lawrence university was represented by Dr. Samuel Plantz, presi- 
dent; Rev. H. P. Haylett, treasurer; and Robert McMillan, trustee, of Oshkosh. A 
<iuartet under the direction of F". E. Hinners rendered several beautiful selections. 
The floral f)fferings were many. The following gentlemen acted as pall-bearers: 
Rev Edwin Hyde, Anson Mayhcw, Robert McMillan, W. H. Stevens, George 
Houghton and Joseph P. Rundle. The burial was at Forest Home cemetery. 

When the news of his sudden death reached Appleton, the faculty ami trus- 
tees of Lawrence University assembled and passed the following resolutions: 

"Whereas, in the order of Providence we are called upon to mourn the sudden 
departure of our friend and colaborer. D. G. Ormsby. at his home in Milwaukee, 
August 19, 1894; 

"Therefore, resolved, that while we recognize the unfailing wisdom and good- 
ness of Him who doth all things well, we wish to record our high appreciation of 
Mr. Ormsby's manly and Christian character; the value of his services and counsel 



704 liloGRAl'llirAl. DICIIOXAKV AND I'OR I'RAIT (JALI.IlKV OK IIIK 



as a member for many years of this board; his large liberality in the cause of Chris- 
tian education; and the sense of personal loss sustained by every member of this 
board. His interest and generosity toward Lawrence University will bear such 
fruit as will be a lasting monument to his memory. 

"Be it further resolved, That we hereby tender his esteemed wife the assur- 
ance of our sympathy and regard in this hour of sorrow. 

"Resolved, that a copy of these resolutions be placed upon the records of the 
university, given to the public press and to the family of the deceased." 

Signed in behalf of its board of trustees by the committee on resolutions. 



HON. .TARED C GRECxORY, 



IN the death of the Hon. Jared C. Gregory, which sad event occurred the 7th day 
of February, i8q2, the State of Wisconsin lost one of her most prominent citi- 
zens, and the bar one of its brightest ornaments. 

The following review of his career is from an address delivered before the 
State Historical Society of Wisconsin, at its fortieth annual meeting, December 8, 
1892, by the Hon. Silas U. Pinney, justice of the Supreme Court of the State, who 
for twenty-one years had been a law partner of Mr. Gregory, and therefore was 
most abundantly qualified to prepare such an article: 

"Mr. Gregory was born January 13, 1823, in the town of Butternuts, Otsego 
county, New York. The event took place at the home of his grandfather, on 
Gregory Hill, an elevation overlooking Gilbertsville. which still bears the name. 
The subject of this sketch was the oldest son of Ebenezer Gregory, Esq., and his 
wife, Mille, daughter of James Maxwell, a soldier of the Revolution. Jared was 
educated at Gilbertsville Academy, in the county of his birth, and studied law with 
Judge Noble. Being admitted to practice in 1848, he commenced his professional 
career as a member of the bar of Otsego county, New York. He readily met with 
deserved success and took a prominent position as a lawyer, and a public-spirited and 
useful citizen. He was a strict and consistent adherent, from early manhood to 
honored age, to the time-honored constitutional principles and policy of the Demo- 
cratic party. In 1856 he was the candidate of his party for Congress in the district 
in which he resided, and, though unsuccessful, he ran far ahead of his ticket, attest- 
ing the public recognition of his merits. 

"In the same year of his admission to the bar he was married to Miss Charlotte 
Camp, and they made their home at Unadilla, New York, until they settled in Madi- 
son, Wisconsin, in 1858. Three children of this marriage, — Stephen S. Gregory, one of 
the prominent attorneys of Chicago; Charles N. Gregory, a member of the Wiscon- 
sin bar and a gentleman of very considerable literary attainments and reputation; 
and an unmarried daughter, Cora W. Gregory, — with Mrs. Gregory, survive him. 
"I'pon his arrival in Wisconsin Mr.Ciregory formed a law partnership with the 



RKI'RKSKMAinK MEN UK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 705 



writer, under the firm name of Gregory & Finney, which contined for over twenty- 
one years, — other persons at different times being associated with them, — in which 
they secured a large practice in important litigation and met with marked success. 
After July, 1879, he continued his practice with his son, Charles N. Gregory, under 
the firm name of Gregory & (jregory, until the time of his death, maintaining his 
former high position at the bar. I'Vom almost the outset, on his arrival in Wiscon- 
sin, he took high rank as a lawyer and citizen, and soon formed extensive business 
and social relations, and, being a gentleman of much public spirit, he soon became 
a popular and highly useful member of society in his locality and one of the most 
prominent citizens of the State. He took particular interest in educational affairs, 
and served with great fidelity for twelve years as one of the regents of the Univer- 
sity of Wisconsin. He was of signal service in that capacity when the institution 
was a feeble one of uncertain promise, and until it took acknowledged position and 
rank with the best educational institutions of the country. In 1873 he served with 
ability one term as Mayor of the city; in 1881 he was the candidate of his party for 
member of Congress in the Madison district, — the nominal majority of the opposite 
party being nearly 4,000, but he was defeated by a majority of about 1,000. He was 
Postmaster of Madison during the first term of ofifice of President Cleveland, and 
gave great satisfaction, administering the affairs of the office in the most creditable 
manner. He had often been mentioned in connection with other positions, and 
while taking an active interest in political affairs, he avoided rather than inclined 
to candidacy for office. It should be added that Mr. Ciregory was a delegate from 
Wisconsin to the National Democratic Convention held at Cincinnati in 1880, and 
was one of the vice-presidents of the convention. 

"When Mr. Gregory settled in Wisconsin the condition of affairs in the West 
was unpromising and full of difficulty and embarrassment. A great financial revo- 
lution had recently swept over the countr)' and prostrated business interests. There 
had been failures, assignments, foreclosures and all the difficulties and embarrass- 
ments that are inseparable from great business disturbances. Litigation was abun- 
dant and more than usually unprofitable. Country towns and cities had created 
heavy corporate obligations in aid of railway schemes that either utterly failed or 
had been temporarily prostrated, and the country seemed to have been buried 
under a crushing weight of public and private indebtedness. The storm had really 
spent its fury, and the question of reorganizing and reconstructing public and private 
interests on a better and surer basis, was the problem of the hour. There was more 
experience than money to be obtained in practicing law, yet it was at this juncture 
that the services of a lawyer of quick business perceptions and sound judgment were 
of great value. And so there was opened a field in which Mr. Gregory's learning 
and experience as a lawyer, and his excellent business qualifications, were peculiarly 
useful. He negotiated and completed an early and therefore advantageous com- 
promise of our city debt, which was an enormous burden in the estimation of men 
of that day. He, with General George B. Smith, Judge J. C. Hopkins, General 
Simeon Mills, General David Atwood and others, was particularly active and useful 
in securing the location and building of railroads to and through Madison. He was 
prominent in the struggle before the Legislature for many years, in relation to rail- 



7o6 I'.IOCKAI'IIICAI. niC IIONAKV AND PORTKAri" CAl.l.KKV OK IIIK 



road enterprises and the disposition of \hv land >i,rants; and for a long series of 
years, and to tlu- lime of his death, he was the local attorney and advisor of the 
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company, at Madison, and enjoyed its 
confidence in a very high degree. During a great portion of the time before he 
settled in Wisconsin, affairs were in the early formative contlition, when there was 
a grt'at deal to !)(.: accomplished, and hut limited resources, — when prudence and 
wise discretion were indispensable to success. In the last few years of his life he 
was one of the few survivors of those stirring scenes and important events of the 
earliest days, which are (]uite forgotten by many and known by but few of the 
present generation. In all this eventful and interesting period Mr. Gregory acted 
a prominent and useful part, characterized by entire iidelity of purpose and in- 
tegrity of action. 

"Mr. (Iregory as a lawyer was a learned, wise and prudent counsellor and an 
efficient advocate in the trial of jury causes. He was an agreeable and entertain- 
ing speaker and gifted with the ability to perceive almost intuitively the considera- 
tions ami motives that inthienced human conduct, and the practical views upon 
which men usually form their conclusions, lie did not particularly devote himself 
to the consideration of complicated legislation or the study of intricate legal prob- 
lems, yet in all such cases his suggestions and general views were very valuable. 
He chose rather to adjust such controversies and to devote himself more particu- 
larly to the non-contentious departments of professional life. He was eminently 
of gentle and peaceful disposition, disposed to settle and adjust controversies rather 
than litigate them; but when he felt compelled to a different course he was an an- 
tagonist of whom one had need to beware. With an e.xperience of nearly twenty- 
two years, I found him at all times a pleasant, helpful and agreeable partner, — faith- 
ful and true to duty in every respect. Having been so intimately acquainted with 
him in daily life for a period of thirty-four years, I cannot express in suitable terms 
ht)w much 1 miss him, how mucli 1 deplore his loss; and 1 am conscious that aii}- 
attempt of mine to delineate his character and merits would be quite inadequate. 

" In my judgment he belonged to that class of the profession who are extremely 
serviceable to their clients and whose services do not always receive in public esti- 
mation the acknowledgment and recognition that fidelity, integrity and ability de- 
serve. The fame of a good and even a great lawyer is transitory, and soon be- 
comes traditional. It does not long survive the memory of the contests and contro- 
versies and the professional exertions upon which it had its rather precarious and 
uncertain foundation. It is the fate of most lawyers to work hard, live fairly well 
and die poor. Our friend left a fair competence, but he realized the other condi- 
tions of professional success. 1 le was a diligent man and an industrious one. 

"lie was a man of man\- friendships, and 1 think he had no i-nemies. Mr. 
Gregory was an agreeable and instructive conversationalist, and had mingled so ex- 
tensively in social, business and professional circles that he had a large fund of in- 
teresting anecdotes and experiences, which made his society attractive. He was 
fond of social life and its enjoyments, refinements and friendships. He was of 
kindl\-. symi)athetic nature; he adhercnl to his old friends and acquaintances with 



UKI'KI'.SKN r.\ I l\K MKN (IK TllK rMIKD STATKS; WISCONSIN XOI.LiMK. 70Q 



sinj^ular firmness, and was one of the truest of friends. Upon the great felicity and 
comfort of his home life and associations it is not proper to enlarge on this occa- 
sion. He sought to make men better, and all his influence was given in favor of 
that which is calculated to exalt and mnolilc huinanily. lie was a incinin-i- of 
(irace Episcopal Church, and took an interest in matters pertaining t(j the atlvance- 
inent of Christian work. It may be truly said of him that the world is better that 
he lived, and all men who knew him cannot but deplore his loss." 



HAUMAN G. HAUGAN, 

MII.WAl KKE. 

HAUMAN G. HAUGAN was born in Christiania, Norway, on the 7th of No- 
vember, 1840, and is the tenth in order of birth in a family of eighteen chil- 
dren, whose parents, Helge and Anne iHovland) Haugan, were also natives of that 
city. The father was a carriage manufacturer by occupation, and followed that 
business in his native land until 1848, when he sailed for California, by way of Cape 
Horn, attracted by the discovery of gold on the Pacific slope. He there remained 
for two years, after which he went to New York by way of the isthmus of Panama, 
where he was detained for a time by an attack of fever. From New York he sailed 
for home, but his brief sojourn in the New World made liini dissatisfied with Nor- 
way, and he returned to America in 1858, settling on a farm in Lower Canada. A 
year later his wife, with six of her children, among whom was our subject, joined 
the hus})and and father and thereafter resided in this country. For a number of 
\ears the parents lived with their son, Hauman, their last days being passed in his 
home. 

During his boyhood years the subject of this sketch attended boarding-school 
in his native land, and then clerked for two years in a grocery store. After his ar- 
rival in America he at once began to aid his father in the cultivation of the farm^ 
and after two years thus spent removed to Montreal, where he worked as a maltster 
until 1863. That year witnessed his emigration westward and saw him located in 
Chicago, where he was employed for a short time in malting, after which he entered 
the employ of the wholesale boot and shoe house of Wilson, Gore & Company, as 
shipping clerk. In 1865 he relinquished that position, preparatory to his removal 
to La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he had an old friend, who was serving as cashier 
in the Batavia Bank. Through the influence of this friend he obtained a situation 
as bookkeeper in that bank, and on the death of his friend he was made acting 
cashier, in which capacity he served with marked ability until the fall of 1870, when 
he left the bank and entered upon his career as a railroad man, being appointed 
cashier of the Southern Minnesota Railroad. Of that road he was afterward made 
auditor, and was with the company until the road became by purchase a part of the 
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul system. W. C. Van Home, now president of the 
Canadian Pacific Railroad, was at that time general sujierintendent of the Chicago, 



7 to bio(;kai'iiicai. dictionary and portkait gallery uf the 



Milwaukee & St. Paul, and appointed Mr. Haugan as his secretary. On account of 
this appointment our subject came to Milwaukee in 1880. In 1883 he was appointed 
land commissioner of the road, a position which he has since filled and for which 
he is admirably adapted. 

In religious matters Mr. Haugan is a Lutheran, holding membership with the 
church at this place, and in his political views he is an ardent Republican. 

In 1879 he was united in marriage to Miss Emma Petersen, of La Crosse, and 
to them have been born four daughters: Helga, Ragna, Alice and Emma. Mr. 
Haugan owes his success in life entirely to his own efforts, for by hard work and 
perseverance he has been enabled to reach a position of prominence in the com- 
munity, as well as one of honor and trust with one of America's greatest transpor- 
tation systems. His prosperity has been well deserved, for he has labored earnestly 
and faithfully, and has applied himself with diligence. 



EUGENE S. ELLIOTT. 

MILWAUKEE. 

IT^UGENE STANHOPE ELLIOTT was born in Vermilion county, Illinois, 
-J August 13, 1842. His parents, Rev. George W. Elliott and Susan Elliott, nee 
Bates, were both of illustrious ancestry. His paternal progenitor settled In the 
colonies in 1632. A biographer. In a description of his ancestry, writes: 

"Eugene S. Elliott springs from no common stock, and possesses no ordinary 
elements of character. Physical strength and mental vigor were characteristic of 
his ancestors. Patriotic sentiment and noble ideas were his by birthright. His 
father, George W. Elliott, was a Presbyterian clergyman; his grandfather, Ezeklel 
Elliott, a Lieutenant in the Revolutionary war. The lives of these men covered a 
period In the history of our Republic notable for the development of the sterling 
qualities of men, and for the Inspiration of loyality and patriotism." 

These elements of character, so prominent In the ancestry, were inherited in 
full measure by their descendants, and In our subject we find a strong man with 
keen Intellect and logical mind — a ripe scholar and an able lawyer — a man of 
noble bearing, quiet and unostentatious in manner, and of the strictest Integrity. 

He has sustained in all his private and public relations, a dignity of character 
in keeping with the substantial worth of men. While prominent at the bar and in 
public life, his ripe scholarship has also led him Into the domain of literature, and 
It Is in this direction that his mind has had Its fullest scope. 

The early education of our subject was obtained in the common schools of 
Illinois. In 1852 his parents moved to Milwaukee, where he continued his studies 
in the public schools and prepared for college in the Milwaukee University (now 
extinct) and in the high school. He entered Dartmouth in September, 1861, but 
soon after, with seventy-five of his classmates, left that institution to enter the ser- 
vice of his country In the war of the Rebellion, enlisting in Company B, of the 
Seventh Squadron of Rhode Island Cavalry. The company acted as body-guard of 
Governor William Sprague, while he was stationed at Washington, and after his 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 713 

election to the Senate, younu: KUiotl, with his cc)mi)any, was transferred to the 
command of General lulius White, then stationed in the Shenandoah valley, under 
General Pope. 

After receiving an honorable discharge, in 1863, the young man returned to 
Milwaukee and began the study of law in the office of D. G. Hooker. He discon- 
tinued his studies and entered upon a journalistic career, becoming, in 1865, editor 
and proprietor of the Milwaukee journal of Commerce, and continued to labor in 
the field of journalism until 1S71, when he resumed the study of law. lie was atl- 
mittetl to the bar in 1876; was elected City Attorney in 1886 on the Republican 
ticket, and was re-elected in 1888 on the joint Republican and Democratic tickets. 
In i8go he was renominated by the Republicans, but was defeated on the issue of 
which his party held the affirmative, viz: That it is the duty of the State to pro- 
vide, and the right of every child to demand, such an education in the English 
language as would qualifj' every child within the State to adequately discharge the 
duties of American citizenship. 

Mr. Elliott has taken a deep and active interest in Masonry. He was made a Mason 
in 1867, in Kilbourne Lodge No. 3, F". & A. M., of Milwaukee. In 1868 he became 
a member of the Kilbourne Chapter, R. A. M., and the same year was admitted to 
the Wisconsin Commandery, K. T. In 1886 and 1887 he was Grand Master of the 
Grand Lodge of Eree and accepted Masons of Milwaukee. In 1803 he was elected 
Grand Commander of the Knights Templar of Wisconsin, and in iSc)4 was re- 
elected. 

He was chosen temporary chairman of the Reijui)lican State convention in 
i8q2, and in 1894 was honored with the chairmanship ol the party con\'ention held 
in Milwaukee, and presided over that body with ability and dignity. 

Mr. Elliott was married in 1865 to Catherine E. Dousman, daughter of George 
I). Dousman, one of Milwaukee's earliest settlers. They have three children 
living — Lillian, the, wife of W. J. McElroy, an attorney of Milwaukee; their son, 
George T., is now attending the law school at the State Lhiiversity at Madison; 
Katherine, the youngest, resides with her parents. 

In every walk of life, whether as the humble citizen of the commonwealth, in 
the forum, on the rostrum, or upon the stump fighting the political battles of his 
party, or in the field of literature, he has proven himself the peer of the best, — one 
of the noblest of them all. 



CHARLES W. FELKER, 



MR. CHARLES W. IPILKI-^R was born in Fenn Van, Vates county. New 
York, on the 25th day of November, 1834, and is the son of Andrew and 
Maria iPixleyl Eelker. His father was a farmer and for some years resided near 
Canandaigua, Ontario county. New \'ork. His father lost his property in the bank- 
ruptcy days of 1837, and in 1844 removed to McHenry county, Illinois, and in 1846 
lo \\ innebago county, W isconsin. 



714 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

In addition to a ronimon-school disciiiline, Mr. Felker received an academical 
education at the Brockport Collegiate Institution, New York, and at the Charlotte- 
ville Institute, Schoharie county. New York. Mr. Felker has been a resident of 
Wisconsin since the spring of 1846. In 1856 Mr. F"elker became the editor of the 
Oshkosh Democrat, a newspaper published in the city of Oshkosh, and remained 
in that position for a year and a half. In September, 1884, he became the editor of 
the Oshkosh Times, a newspaper published in the city of Oshkosh, which he edited 
until September, 1888. In June, 1S62, he was married to Miss Sarah C. Douty. 
Three daughters and two sons, living, are the issue of the marriage. Mr. Felker 
was admitted to the bar in March, 1858, and was in 1875 admitted to the bar of the 
Supreme Court of the United States. His practice has been quite large and gen- 
eral throughout the State, in both the State and Federal Courts. 

In 1864 Mr. Felker enlisted in the Forty-eighth Regiment, Wisconsin Volun- 
teer Infantry, and was elected Captain of Company A. He was mustered out of 
the service in June, 1866, and began the practice of law in the spring of that year 
with Mr. Charles A. Welsbrod. Mr. Weisbrod died in the spring of 1876, after 
which time, with the e.xception of one year, he was engaged in the practice of law 
alone until June, 1892, when he associated himself with Mr. Frank C. Stewart and 
his son, Mr. Frederic Felker. 

Mr. Felker is a Democrat politically, but is not a politician or a partisan. He 
is not a member of any ecclesiastical organization, but he is an attendant of the 
Episcopal Church antl believes in its doctrines. His law library is among the 
largest in the State, as is also his collection in the line of general literature. 

GENERAL ALBERT G. ELLIS, 

STKN'F.NS POINT. 

ALBERT GALLATIN ELLIS was born at Verona, Oneida county. New 
York, August 24, 1800. His grandfather Ellis was a native of Scotland and 
his father, Eleazer Ellis, was born at Dedham, Massachusetts, April 25, 1766. 

The first fifteen years of our subject's life were passed on his father's farm, 
where his opportunities for mental culture were very meager. When he attained 
the age mentioned, his father died, and his mother, with her two children, moved 
to Litchfield, Herkimer county. Thus thrown upon his own resources, without 
money or acquaintance with the ways of the world, young Ellis set out with a reso- 
lute will to carve his own fortune. With that end in view he entered the office of 
the Herkimer American, in 1816, as an apprentice, and there he remained for sev- 
eral years and learned the art of printing. By working Saturday afternoons, — 
time that he had to himself, — he managed to accumulate, by job work, small 
sums of money, which he sent to his mother and sister each week. He sought 
good associates, attended church, and by being brought in contact with young men 
with better education than he possessed, his ambition for higher mental attain- 
ments was kindled, and his spare moments were occupied with study. At the close 
of his apprenticeship he returned to his native village, and s]HMit six months in a 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 715 



g^rainmar school, tau»fht by lliomas T. Loomis, and latiT hi^came a teacher of the 
Oneida Indians, at Oneida Castle, — an occupation in which he continued for three 
years, during which time he became proficient in the Mohawk language. In May 
iSji, Mr. Ellis was appointed by the Missionary Society of the Protestant Episco- 
pd\ Church, as catechist and lay-reader to the Indians at (ireen Bay--a position 
lu- held for nearly five years. 

In 1827 Governor Cass appointed Mr. Ellis inspector of i)rovisions for the dis- 
trict of Green Bay, and the following year he was appointed deputy surveyor of 
Government lands by Surveyor (ieneral Tiffin. In the autumn of 1830 he was 
delegated to construct a map for a delegation of Mcn<)niin<'c Indians, who were to 
\isit Washington, and he accompanied the delegation on that trip as secretary. 

In .August, 1832, he was commissioned to survey and establish a boundary line 
between the Menominee and New York Indians, and in 1833 was directed to sur- 
vey a large district of public land near Green Bay, which work, by his renewed ap- 
pointments the next two years, was extended to adjoining districts. In 1836 he 
was elected to the Territorial Legislature, representing Brown county, which com- 
l)rised nearly half of Wisconsin, and in 1837 he was appointed Surveyor General 
of Wisconsin and Iowa, — a position he held during Mr. Van Buren's administration 
and resigned in 1841. In that year General Ellis was again elected to the Terri- 
torial Assembly and was in 1842 chosen Speaker of that body. In 1843 he was re- 
elected. The honor of establishing the first newspaper in the Northwest Territory, 
The Green Bay Intelligencer, is shared by General Ellis and John \\ Suydam. 
In 1S53 he was appointed receiver of the land office, and removed to Stevens 
Point. This office he held until 1862. Later he bought a flour mill, and started 
the Wisconsin Pinery, of which he was editor for many years. In his political belief 
he was a strong Democrat. In 1820 he was confirmed in the Protestant Episcopal 
Church and was always a consistent member of the same. 

General Ellis was a liberal contributor to the volumes of the Wisconsin His- 
torical Society, and his writings are among its richest treasures. His "Fifty-four 
\'ears' Recollection of Men and I".\cnts in Wisconsin" are full of interest and of 
great value. He also had under way at the time of his death a work which was 
entitled "Recollections of a Busy Life," but which he did not live to complete. 
His death occurred December 23, 1885, and he was mourned by all who knew him. 



WTLLT.VM G. MOSHIER, 

I'UAIKIK I)U CIIIEN. 

''I^I IE life history of William G. Moshier, while it has experience in common with 
A those of others, has yet many jtoints of difference — especially in the intensity 
in which he has manifested his leai:)ing characteristics of enterprise and executive 
ability. 

William Ciieger Moshier was born July 30, 1821, in Penn \'an, Yates county 



7l6 BIOGRAIMIICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALI.KRY OF THE 

(then Ontario county), New York. Mis father was Davison Moshier, then a cloth- 
ier and proprietor of a small factory and j^ristmill, as well as a leading citizen of 
the place. His mother, who was the second white child born in Seneca county. 
New York, bore the maiden name of Caroline M. Freeman. Both parents reached 
the age of eighty-nine years, the father's death occurring June q, 1884, the mother 
passing away May 1, 1885. 

The early school privileges which our subject received were those afforded by 
the common schools of the locality in which he resided, and at the age of fifteen he 
went to work for his failicr in his mill, there acquiring the practical knowledge that 
became of such a benefit to him in later years. Mr. Moshier, Sr., was the owner of 
a small schooner, which brought wheat to his mill, and the son at an early age as- 
sumed charge of this, and was captain of the same for several years. He then de- 
termined to start out for himself independently, and obtained a position as head 
miller of the "Croton Mills," owned by John Rice, of Brooklyn, New York, and one 
of the best mills in the Genesee country, New York State. Later he assumed charge 
of the Union Flour Mills, located at the foot of Bridge street, in Brooklyn, and 
owned by the Union White Lead Company of that city. This mill was at that time 
the largest steam mill in the world, having a capacity of from 2,200 to 2,400 barrels 
of Hour per week. With this company he remained five years, when the mill was 
destroyed by tire, and not being rebuilt he sought employment elsewhere, going to 
Cleveland, Ohio, where he remained with the Cleveland City Mills for three years. 
Upon the sale of that establishment, he returned to the Empire State, and entered 
into partnership with M. T. Colgrove in the milling business at Canisteo. 

In 1859, Mr. Moshier and Mr. Colgrove came West and purchased the mill at 
Bunker Hill, now Ion, Allamakee county, Iowa, which they operated successfully 
for four years. Mr. Moshier then disposed of his interest and moved to Prairie du 
Chien, where in 1863 he built the Dousman Mills and conducted the same with marked 
success until the fall of 1869. His ne.xt venture was at Excelsior, Wisconsin, hav- 
ing bought the E.xcelsior saw and grist mill, and there he lived, enjoying his usual 
prosperity, until 1882," when he gave up that interest and moved to P'rairiedu Chien, 
Wisconsin, where he has since made his home. The following year he purchased 
the Troutdale Mill, at North McGregor, Iowa, considered to be the model flouring 
mill in all tlu' 1 lawkeye State, and pronounced by the American Miller to be the 
finest mill of its size in the entire country. In 1S92 he sold this mill, and since that 
time has been retired from active business, enjo\'ing a well earned rest alter so 
many years of labor. 

An account of Mr. Moshier's life would he incomplete did it not make refer- 
ence to his fondness for "man's noblest boon," the horse. He is a fine judge of 
horseflesh, and has at several different times owned animals the equal of any trot- 
ting stock in the country. One of these was the famous horse, "Gray Cloud," for 
which he received the then phenomenal price of $10,000. Granville and Catherine 
were other noted trotters that have belonged to him, antl he has owned many oth- 
ers that have had a national reputation. Mr. Moshier thus liecame known to all 
prominent horsemen throughout the couiUry. He owned nothing hut tme animals, 



KErRKSENTATIVK. MKN OF TlIK UMTKI) .STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 



and these often took part in the famous racL-s all over the country, but of late years 
he Has disposed of his entire stock of trotters and now only keeps a roadster for 
his own use, — Price B., sired by Black Republican, a five-year-old. with a pacing 
record of 2:29^, a remarkable animal. Mr. Moshier was very successful in his 
dealings in fine horses. 

In his political views his a strong Democrat but not a politician. In former 
years he attended nearly all the Democratic conventions, anil was frequently elected 
to oHice, although he always avoided this if possible, and only accepted when it 
seemeti imperative to the party's interest that he should make the canvass. Reli- 
giously, he is a devout member of the Catholic Church. Me is fond of travel and 
has indulged this taste, having visited all parts of this country with the exception 
of the Pacitic slope and the extreme South. 

Mr. Moshier was married May 29, 1853, to Miss Lucy A. Allison, who died May 
iS, 1882. In October, i88_^, he was united in marriage with Miss Annie I. Stramm, 
of Prairie du Chien, a lady of worth and highly esteemed by those acquainted with 
her. One son, a bright lad, William A., has blessed this union and adds life and 
happiness to the home. 

Mr. Moshier is a man of fine physique, and with the exception of an attack of 
the grippe, two years ago, has never been sick in his life. His success is attributed 
to close application to the details of his business, and honorable dealing, and he is 
to-day one of the foremost figures in Prairie du Chien, where he is held in high 
esteem by all her citizens. 



ANDREW REBER WEEK, 

STEVENS POINT. 

i R. \\'P^P2K, president of the I'irst National Hank of Stevens Point, was born 
XA^* in Koshkonong, Dane county, April 5, 1857, and is a son of John and Cninild 
(Luras) Week. His father was one of the pioneer lumbermen of northern Wis- 
consin, who earned for himself a worthy name and was loved for his noble, manly 
qualities. The subject of this sketch obtained his education in the normal school 
at Whitewater, and at the Wisconsin State University at Madison, taking the civil- 
engineering course, and becoming especially proficient in drawing and drafting. 
His father, at an early day, had invested in timber lands in Marathon count)', and 
conducted a lumber manufacturing plant on the Big liau I'leine river and there the 
boy was initiated into business life. At the age of eighteen he took charge of his 
father's books at the mill, keeping his accounts for several years and then taking 
charge of the business. He also for a time taught school in Marathon county. In 1880 
the mill was destroyed by fire and the business was moved to Stevens Point and in 
1S84 the business was incorporated under the name of the Week Lumber Com- 
pany, at which time the Owen Clark water-power sawmill was leased and was 
operated for four years, cutting on an average from twelve to fourteen million 
feet per annum. Subsequently the steam sawmill of the North .Side Lumber 



7l8 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



Company was purchased and has been operated since, cuttin<r an annual aver- 
age of 10,000,000 feet. The company does a wholesale lumber business, dis- 
tributing its product west as far as Denver, south as far as Louisville, and east as 
far as Boston. A planing-mill is also operated. The officers of the John Week 
Lumber Company are N. A. Week, president; E. R. Week, vice-president, and 
A. R. Week, secretary and treasurer. In 1886 Mr. Week became financially inter- 
ested as a stockholder in the First National Bank of Stevens Point. He was elected 
a member of it's board of directors and vice-president, and has ever since taken a 
deep interest in the welfare of that institution, and in July, 1893 ^^^.s elected its 
president. The First National Bank of Stevens Point was organized in 1883, with 
a capital of $50,000. At the time Mr. Week became interested in its welfare its de- 
posits were less than two hundred thousand dollars. He has witnessed its growth 
until he has seen nearly three-quarters of a million of dollars on deposit. The in- 
stitution now has a surplus of twenty-five thousand dollars in addition to its capital 
stock. Not a little of the bank's success is attributable to the efforts and influence 
of Mr. 'Week. He has been active in behalf of the welfare of the city, and is presi- 
dent of the Stevens Point Investment Company, — an organization incorporated for 
the benefit of Stevens Point and for the purpose of inducing industries to be estab- 
lished there, — and is also a member of the board of directors of the great District 
Fair. In addition to the enterprises heretofore cited, he is vice-president of the 
Alexandria Land & Gas Company, of x'\lexandria, a town located in the gas belt of 
Indiana. He is an active member of Crusade Commandery, No. 17, K. T., of which 
he is now Generalissimo, and also a member of Wisconsin Consistory, Valley of Mil- 
waukee. Politically, he affiliates with the Democratic party, but is not an active 
partisan. He was twice elected a member of the Board of Supervisors of Port- 
age county, but resigned during his last term, owing to stress of other business. 



JOSEPH W. SKINNER. 

LA CROSSE. 

^r^lIE SUBIECT of this sketch is one of the representative business men of the 
J- younger generation in the State. The story of his life shows what may be ac- 
complished by application, perseverance and the diligent improvement of oppor- 
tunities. 

Joseph W. Skinner was born in Troy, Ohio, October 22, i860, and is the son of 
Edward and Mary (Winans) Skinner, the former of whom was a native of Tiver- 
ton, England, who crossed the Atlantic to America in 1831. At the time of our 
subject's birth the father was a clothing merchant in Troy. During the Civil war 
he served for four years in the Seventy-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry. His wife 
was a native of Louisville, Kentucky, and her death occurred when her son Joseph, 
the second of her three surviving children, was only ten years of age. He attended 
the common schools of his native city until his fifteenth year, at which time he was 




^^.''iyrCKll-m ■:•:>' •: 




REPRESENTATIVK .\IE\ OV THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 



forced to abandon his studies, for his father had died, and he was thereby thrown 
upon his own resources. He secured employment in a country store, where he re- 
uuiined for si.x years, then, on attainincr his majority, went upon the road as a trav- 
eling salesman, selling nurserj' stock. In this line of business he continued for two 
years, and at the expiration of that period entered the employ of a patent-medicine 
concern, selling their goods to the trade. At various times he was interested in 
various advertising schemes, and it was through his connection therewith that he 
obtained that knowledge of the benefits to be derived from judicious advertising, 
whicii, as ])ut into practical use, has been of so much assistance to liim in later 
\ears. 

In 18S7 Mr. Skinner purchased a patent known as the Monroe eraser, owned 
anil manufactured by the Messrs. Swinburne, of La Crosse, — ^gentlemen in whose 
employ he had been for a short time. This is the only perfect eraser for removing 
any kind of ink from paper without injury to the most delicate surface, and the 
owners parted with it because they were of the opinion that they had made all they 
could out of it. The business had run down, and when Mr. Skinner took hold of it 
there was apparently nothing in it. Mr. Skinner, however, knew its merits and its 
possibilities, and immediately upon his taking possession began a most complete 
system of advertising. This he has continued until to-day the Monroe eraser is 
the best advertised novelty in the country. He patronizes only the best papers,-- 
those having a known circulation. At the present time the eraser is advertised in 
over 1,200 different American and Canadian papers, and in seven different lan- 
guages. The cost of thus bringing the eraser before the public averages $1,000 a 
week, and that it is a paying investment is evidenced by a daily mail of over 300 
letters. The eraser is sold in every civilized country on the globe, and shipments 
are constantly being made to Aberdeen, Glasgow, Munich, Berlin, Constantinople, 
London, Paris, Bombay, Havana, Melbourne, Sydney, city of Mexico, Rio Janeiro, 
\'alparaiso and numerous other cities throughout both hemispheres. A branch 
office has been established at Blackburn, England, which is the general European 
d'stributing point. An agency was formerly located at Paris, but it has been dis- 
continued. The company's offices at 124-126-128 North Third street, in La Crosse, 
are the finest in the cit}', and in their management and detail the most perfect sys- 
tem prevails. The quiet and unassuming gentleman whose desk is piled high with 
papers and documents of various description, is he who controls the destinies of 
this business of vast proportions and directs the many details necessary to attain 
the success such as is now enjoyed. 

In addition to the foregoing Mr. Skinner has recently secured a patent on a 
silver-plating device that does away with the use of the voltaic battery, and he is 
also getting a number of advertising novelties into shape to be run in connection 
with his eraser business. Mr. Skinner is a stockholder in the La Crosse Book & 
Stationery Company, and he was one of the incorporators, and formerly secretary, 
of the La Crosse Steam Laundry Company, but owing to the stress of his personal 
affairs, which demanded all of his time, he was forced to discontinue his connection 
with llie comi>any. Me is also vice-president of the Inter-.State Fair Association. 



724 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



In politics he is a Republican, but not a politician. In 1890 Mr. Skinner made an 
extended trip to Europe, on business and pleasure. He visited Great Britain, 
France, Ital}', Switzerland, Germany, Denmark and Norway, being absent from 
home for four months. He has also traveled extensively in this country. 

Mr. Skinner was married, on the 7th day of June, 1893, to Miss Harriet E. 
Moulton, daughter of Captain I. H. Moulton, an old resident and prominent citizen 
of La Crosse. 



HON. ALFRED M. JONES, 

WAUKESHA. 

THE SUBJECT of this sketch, though having but recently become a resident 
of Wisconsin, is fairly entitled to representation in this work by reason of his 
connection with the far-famed Bethesda Spring, at Waukesha, whose health im- 
parting waters have benefited thousands and whose popularity is so largely due to 
the efforts of him whose name appears at the head of this article. 

Alfred Miles Jones is a native of the Granite State, having been born at New 
Durham, New Hampshire, Februarys, 1837. His father, Alfred S. Jones, was a 
type of the sturdy New England farmer, whose wife, Rebecca, was a member of 
the old Miles family, of Connecticut. Alfred M. was their eldest child. Ten years 
after our subject's birth, his parents moved westward and located at Hebron, 
McHenry county, Illinois, and resumed theirfarming operations. Alfred remained 
with his parents till he was sixteen years of age, then struck out for himself and 
went to the Michigan pineries, remained there for a time and then spent a year 
rafting on the Mississippi. He saved some money out of this venture and went to 
Rockford, Illinois, and there for two winters attended the institute kept by P. H. 
Kimball, graduating at the same in 1856. After this he returned to Hebron, work- 
ing on his father's farm in summer and teaching school during the winter. After 
he had resided there for a short time his father disposed of his interests and moved 
to Warren, in Jo Daviess county, where, in 1857, our subject started in the book and 
jewelry business for himself. In the following year, when the financial panic had 
caused wide-spread ruin, Mr. Jones sold his stock of goods, which invoiced $30, and 
being dependent upon his own exertions was forced to seek his livelihood in an- 
other direction. He decided to go to the Pike's Peak country, then in the zenith 
of its fame, and in company with a friend, George Heafford, left Warren and trav- 
eled by rail to St. Joseph, Missouri. At that point they crossed the river and in the 
town of Elmwood met two Germans who had two wheelbarrows. They bought 
one, and Mr. Jones, who was the stronger of the two, got a surcingle, put it over his 
shoulders, strapped the ends to the handles of the wheelbarrow, and, thus wheeling 
it, made the entire journey to their destination, — a trip that occupied twenty days. 
There they remained for a short time, but, being disappointed in the prospects, de- 
cided to return East. The first day after his arrival Mr. Jones had left his partner. 

He then set out on foot for Kearney, Nebraska, a distance of 555 miles, which 






^tV '' ^t'T^Za^tZ)'' 



KKl'RKSKN r.\ri\K MKN dl I UK INriKD STATKS; WISCONSIN VdH'MK. 727 

distance he covered in ten consecutive days, passing everything on the road except 
the pony express. Upon arriving at Warren Mr. Jones, after resting but a day from 
liis fatiguing trip, went to work hiying sidewalks for $1.25 per day. From that time 
to the present he has ever been busy, — actively engaged in work of some sort. I Ic 
next engaged in the sale of farm machinery, and to that enterprise devoted his en- 
ergies for five years; after which he abandoned that work to engage in the law and 
and real-estate business. 

Shortly after his return home Mr. Jones was ai)pointed C"onstal)le, later held 
the position of Deputy Sheriff and Coroner, and was for eight years chairman of 
the Republican County Central Committee. He was elected to the Lower House 
of the Illinois Legislature and served during the sessions of 1872-3-4, and in the 
last noted session was his party's leader in the House. It was at this time that he 
received the name of "Long" Jones, under which he is known to almost everybody. 
It was given him to distinguish him fi-om Mr. Jones, of Massac county, a member 
of the Assembly at the same time, and as A. M. Jones is over si.x feet in height, the 
title stuck to him, and he has ever since been known as " Long" Jones. 

After his term of service in the Legislature expired he was appointed one of 
the Joliet Penitentiary Commissioners, and was for three years and six months sec- 
retary of the board. He was then appointed by President Hayes Collector of In- 
ternal Revenue, at Sterling, Illinois, and later President Garfield appointed him 
United States Marshal for the northern district of Illinois, with headquarters in 
Chicago. He continued in this office until June 30, 1885. During that time he was 
a member of the Republican State Central Committee, and for twelve years of the 
fourteen that he was a member he filled the position of chairman. One of the tri- 
umphs of which Mr. Jones and his friends are justifiably proud is that he was chair- 
man of the State Central Committee the year (1878) that General John A. Logan 
was elected to the Senate, and for this service he was presented by his admirers 
with a handsome silver-service as a token of their appreciation. The last two terms 
(ieneral Logan was elected to the Senate, Mr. Jones, who was his warm personal 
friend, had charge of the campaign, successfully accomplishing, as he always did, 
what he strove for. At the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, Min- 
nesota, in 1892, he had charge of President Harrison's forces, with the result, as is 
well remembered, that that gentleman was renominated to the highest office in the 
gift of the people. It was on that occasion that Mr. Jones was the recipient of a 
handsome cane from the members of the " Low Water MarkCommittee," of which 
he was chairman. 

On the 1st day of July, 1885, Mr. Jones took charge as manager of the noted 
Bethesda Spring, at Waukesha, which up to that time had not proved a paying in- 
vestment. Under his manageinent it was soon made profitable, and in 1888 he be- 
came president of the company as well as manager. These offices he still holds, 
and the affairs of the company are in a more flourishing condition. Mr. Jones has 
been a gradual purchaser of the stock of the Bethesda Company, and now holds 
about seventy-five per cent, of it. He is a member of the Baptist Church and a lib- 
eralo cntributor to its support. He is also a member of the Masonic fraternity. 

On the 13th of October, 1857, Mr. Jones was united in marriage to Miss Eme- 



728 lilOGKAI'lIICAl. DICTIONARY AND POKlkAIT GALLKRV OK I'HR 



line A. \Vri<rht, a native of the State of New York, and they have two children: 
Alfred Wirt, who is in charge of the Bethesda business in Chicago; and a daughter, 
Ernie, now the wife of J. L. Robinson. 

The handsome Terrace Hotel, located just across the street from Bethesda 
Park, is owned by Mr. Jones and is managed by Mr.and Mrs. Robinson. Mr. Jones 
was instrumental in organizing the Waukesha Beach Electric Railway Company, 
which is capitalized for $75,000. He was elected president of the corporation upon 
its organization. The company is constructing a line of electric railway extending 
from Waukesha to Pewaukee lake, — a distance of five miles. After accepting the 
presidency of the above incorporation Mr. Jones ciecided that as his business enter- 
prises in Waukesha were so extensive as to require all his time there, he would 
make that city his home, and in the spring of i8q4 he, not without regrets, gave up 
his residence in Illinois and moved his family to Waukesha, where he has now 
planned a fine residence, which he hopes to enter next year (1895.) 

It seems appropriate at this point to say a word or two regarding the Bethesda 
Spring. Its fame is so widespread that mention of it can with propriety be made 
even in a work devoted exclusively to biography, and especially so as the biogra- 
phy of its president would be incomplete without it. There is but one other spring 
in the world so well known as the Bsthe^da, and that is the Carlsbad, of Bohemia. 
To Colonel Richard Dunbar is due the credit of the discovery of the definite thera- 
peutic properties of the Bethesda Spring, although for years previous to 1868, the 
date of Colonel Dunbar's discovery, the Indians had drank of its waters with 
marked benefit. Colonel Dunbar, who was by occupation a railroad contractor, and 
who had spent many years in South America, was considered a hopeless invalid, 
suffering from a supposed incurable disease of diabetes. His wife's mother, Mrs. 
William Clarke, a resident of Waukesha, was fatally ill at that village, and Colonel 
Dunljar and his wife were summoned to her bedside. The former was in a most 
despondent frame of mind, for the most noted physicians of the time had told him 
that he had but a few months to live. His skin was like parchment, and no per- 
spiration had come from his pores for months. On the gth day of August, 1868, he 
was taken for a drive, and upon passing the spring the Colonel, who was always 
thirsty, requested a cup of water, which was given him. In fact he drank nine cup- 
fuls, and almost immediately he began to perspire. Upon arriving home he was 
, put to bed and fell asleep, — the first sleep he had obtained for a long time. Upon 
awakening he called for more water and continued to drink it whenever thirsty. 
From that time his recovery was rapid, and he lived for a long time afterward, and 
purchased an interest in the spring that prolonged his life. 

In the fall of 1868 the water was first sold for medicinal purposes, and ever 
since that time it has been on the market. The business of bottling and selling in 
large quantities was begun in 1878. The water is now consumed in all parts of the 
United States and in many European and Canadian cities. During 1892 over one 
million bottles of the water were sold, and the business is steadily increasing. The 
greatest care is taken that the consumers get the water in a pure and unadulterated 
state, and therefore it is sold in Iwttles only, and bottled only at the spring, with a 
sealed label over the cork. The sui)ply is unlimited and is attested to, over their 




iw 




^1 -^ /Y^^^ 



/ 



<i:i>Ki:sKNIAri\ K \IKN DI IIIK united SIATKS; WISCDNSIN VOl.UMi;. 



own siirnatures, by some of the most eminent physicians and citizens of our country, 
such as Vice-Presitlent Stevenson, ex-Secretary Rusk, ex-Secretary Foster, ex-Gov- 
ernor I-"oraker, Director General George R. Davis, of the World's Columbian Ex- 
position, President T. W. Palmer, United States Judge Jenkins, Dr. Shrady, and 
others by the score. 

Bethesda Park, in which the spring is located, is the most beautiful sjjot in 
Waukesha, as well as most popular with the thousands of visitors to that noted re- 
sort. A handsome pavilion has been erected over the spring, and this is thronged 
continuously with young and old, who come hitherto drink the sparkling waters. 
During the season band concerts form an attractive feature of enjoyment, while 
tennis courts, croquet grounds, a row on Fox river or a stroll among the grand 
trees of the park, offer amusement for those inclined to avail themselves thereof. 
All the attendants are uniformed in neat blue, with the word "Bethesda" in gilt 
letters on their caps, and an air of neatness and prosperity pervades everything 
connected with Bethesda. Within an hundred miles of Chicago and less than 
twenty of Milwaukee, residents of these cities are always present in large numbers; 
while as a resort for Southerners it already rivals the reputation held by Saratoga 
in the days before the war. Mr. Jones has been the leading spirit in the advance- 
ment of Bethesda. His has been the heart to conceive, the understanding to direct 
and the hand to execute all of its many improvements, with the result that he has 
placed Bethesda water within the reach of all, and has made Bethesda Park one of 
the greatest and best known summer resorts in the country. 



JOHN GUND. SR., 

I,A CROSSK. 

JOHN GUND was l)orn October 3, 1830, at .Schwetzingen, a small village of 
Baden, situated on the river Rhine, between Heidelberg and Mannheim. He 
was the second of the eight children of George M. and Sophia (Edes) Gund, the 
former a hop and tobacco farmer. He obtained his education at the village school, 
which he left at the age of fifteen to learn the cooper's trade, which was then a pre- 
liminary to the brewer's business. He served an apprenticeship of two years, work- 
ing at coopering in the summer and in the brewery in the winter. After finishing 
this trade he continued for one year with his employer, and in 1848, being desirous 
of going to America, he sailed by way of Rotterdam and Havre for New York, 
landing in the American metropolis May 16, 1848, after a voyage of thirty-five days. 
He remained in New York city for a day or so and then started Westward, going 
direct to Freeport, Illinois, near which city his father and others of the family had 
been located on a farm since the preceding year. After remaining there for a month 
he went to (jalena, Illinois, intending to work at his trade, but he could find no 
work to do, so pushed onward to Dubuque, Iowa, and went into the employ of An- 
ton Heeb, the leading brewer of the place. He worked for Mr. Heeb two years, — 



732 lUOGUAl'HICAI. DICTIONARY AND POK'i'RAIT GALLERY OF 'IIII-: 



until June 7, 1850, — and then returned to Galena, where, in company with a Mr. 
Witzel, he leased a brewery and operated it under the firm name of Gund & Witzel. 
Later he sold out to his partner and rented the Cedar brewery, which he conducted 
for two years, then disposed of his lease and removed to La Crosse, where, in 
August, 1854, he built a small brewery, which he operated until 1858, when he 
started a new and larger brewery in company with Mr. Heilman. The firm asso- 
ciation of Gund & Heilman continued for fourteen years, and in 1872 Mr. Heilman 
purchased Mr. Gund's interest. But Mr. Gund was not the man to live in leisure. 
The following year he built the Empire brewery. In 1880 he admitted his sons in- 
to the business, which was then incorporated as the John Gund Brewing Company. 
In 1892 the product of the brewery was $60,500 barrels of beer, which was sold in 
the States of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and North and South Dakota. A large 
distributing depot was erected at Minneapolis some years ago, that point being 
the most advantageous for shipments to the customers of the company in the North- 
west. 

Mr. Gund is a member of the Lutheran Reformed Church. Politically he has 
invariably voted as his convictions have taught him. He voted the Whig ticket in 
his early life, then for ten or twelve years was a Republican and more recently he 
has supported the Democratic party. He has no desire for public office and takes 
only the interest of a citizen anxious for good government. 

Mr. Gund was married, in Galena, Illinois, in 1852, to Miss Louisa Hottmann, 
a native of Wurtemberg, and the issue of this union was five children, four of whom 
are now living, namely: Louisa, now Mrs. Charles Michel, of La Crosse; George 
F., a brewer of Seattle, Washington; Henry, secretary and manager of the La Crosse 
brewery, and John Jr., treasurer of the same. 

In his earlier years Mr. Gund was compelled to work very hard, but of late 
years the executive ability of his sons has been of material aid to him and he takes 
life more leisurely. The Gund Brewing Company is one of the strongest institu- 
tions of La Crosse and is also one of its most prosperous. Its success is due to the 
ability of Mr. Gund and his sons no less than to the excellence of the product of 
the plant. Its founder, who started a poor boy, utterly without means, has become 
one of the substantial citizens of his State solely through his own exertions, and to- 
day he enjoys the well earned fruits of a life of arduous toil. 



NATHANIEL C. FOSTER, 

FAIRCHILD. 

MR. FOSTER is a typical representative of the progressive American citizen. 
He is enterprising, public-spirited and progressive. He has created oppor- 
tunities, and not awaited their coming. No undertaking is too large and no invest- 
ment too great for him, providing he can feel reasonably assured of profitable re- 
turns. When he located at the railway station known as Fairchild, there was but 
little in addition to the railway depot to indicate a settlement. He erected a mill, 
built a town, and later constructed a new railroad with his own means and without 




Ci-^^)^^^ 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WlSCOI<SIN VOLUME. 735 

the hnancial assistance of boiideil indebtedness. He was born in Owego, Tioga 
county, New York, January 6, 1834, and was the sixth in a family of seven children 
of Willard and Lovicea Foster, natives of Vermont and New York respectively. 
I lis father followed farming and lumbering in New York, where he resided until 
liis death in 1881, and consequently Mr. Foster rightfully inherited some of his 
ability as a successful lumberman. 

In 1855 Mr. Foster arrived in Wisconsin, locating at (ireen Bay. His capital 
at that time was less than $250. He worked in a sawmill for some two or three 
years, and then purchased an interest in and ran a mill for C. R. Tyler. Later he 
moved to Fort Howard, and ran a mill about fourteen miles northwest of Green 
Bay, and also owned a mill ten miles east of Green Bay, in partnership with G. R. 
Cooke, and one on the Oneida reservation. Timber becoming scarce in the vicin- 
ity of Fort Howard, Mr. F"oster decided to locate elsewhere, and purchased about 
4,500 acres of timber land around Fairchild. He later purchased more lands in 
that section, buying in all some 20,000 acres of good timber land, consisting of pine 
and hard wood, which extends into Eau Claire and Clark counties. This timber 
furnishes the supply for the large mills he owns at Fairchild, which were established 
in 1877, at a cost of $100,000, and by recent additions and improvements is now 
valued at $150,000. The plant has a capacity of 125,000 feet of lumber daily, be- 
sides 14,000,000 shingles and 6,000,000 lath per season, and employs a force of 250 
men. July i, 1891, his various interests were incorporated under the name of the 
N. C. Foster Lumber Company, with $500,000 capital fully paid up. The officers 
are N. C. Foster, president, and his two sons, E. J. Foster and G. A. Foster, vice- 
president and secretary and treasurer, respectively. In addition to its sawmill the 
company conducts a buckwheat mill and a general store, having a trade of $125,000 
a year, and several retail lumber yards located at Osseo, Eleva and Mondovi, in 
Wisconsin, and at Avoca, .Slayton and Heron Lake, in Minnesota. From the re- 
tail yard at Fairchild the country for a radius of thirty miles is supplied. The 
buckwheat flour manufactured in the Foster mill is ground by a patent process and 
has a national reputation, being sold throughout the North and South. 

Very few men have ever attempted to build a railroad individually. A very 
small proportion of those who have attempted such a feat were successful. Mr 
Foster is one of the very few men, if not the only man, in the United States that 
ever built a railroad without mortgaging it for a single dollar. In 1886 he built 
forty-five miles of railroad from F'airchild to Mondovi, opening up a new territory. 
I le called the road the Sault Ste. Marie & Southwestern Railroad. In March, 1891, 
he sold it to the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad Company for 
$400,000. He also built the Chicago, Fairchild & Eau Claire River Railway, with 
about thirty miles of track, some fifteen of which extends in a direct line into the 
timber tract, and the balance being spurs and branches. This road is operated by 
the N. C. Foster Lumber Company as a logging railroad, and on it the company 
has five camp cars in which the men live while logging is being done, winter and 
summer. In addition to the enterprise cited above, Mr. Foster has several other 
financial connections. He is interested in a silver mine in Mexico, and in the Dem- 
iiig Land and Water CompanN', of Deming. New Mexico. 



736 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Mr. Foster's success is entirely self-achieved. He has climbed upward and on- 
ward through his own exertions, and his advancement is attributable to hard work, 
diligence and sound business principles. 

Politically he is a stanch Republican. He was always a great admirer of 
James G. Blaine, and was a delegate to the convention at Chicago that nominated 
that great American statesman for the Presidency. He is at present a member of 
the Republican State Central Committee. Mr. Foster was married in 1858, to 
Esther Stearn, and to them have been born seven children, namely: Gilbert A.; 
Edward J.; Sarah, wife of C. M. Wilson; Clara, wife of D. Duncan; Carrie, wife of 
George Winslow; Willard, a student at the military school; and Grace May. 



RICHARD THOMAS MORGAN, 



IT OFTEN happens that the most valuable guides which example furnishes in 
the rush of the nineteenth century are available only in circles limited by 
personal associations. It is true, furthermore, that the qualities most worthy 
of emulation are usually combined in a successful man, with a shrinking from per- 
sonal notoriety. But the career of a man who, starting in life with no capital save 
brains and energy, achieves success and builds up a large business, is pregnant with 
interest, no matter how lacking it may be in dramatic action. 

Richard Thomas Morgan, son of Thomas and Catherine (Davis) Morgan, was 
born in Wales, October 6, 1829. When a child of less than four years, his parents 
founded a new home in the United .States, locating in Oneida county. New York, 
where the father engaged in farming. The early life of Richard was passed on his 
father's farm, his education being obtained in the schools of the neighborhood. 
He was reared to habits of industry and frugality, — habits that have clung to him 
and exerted a beneficial influence upon his life. At the age of twenty he began to 
work at the carpenter's trade, and three years later he decided to move to the 
West. He determined to locate in Wisconsin, being drawn thither by the wealth 
of timber possessed by this State. By chance he located in Oshkosh and after 
working for a short time in the planing-mill of J. G. Bailey, he, in association with 
his brother and two others, purchased a small mill and entered upon a successful 
career, but within three months after the firm assumed control the plant was 
destroyed by the flames. 

About this time Mr. Morgan returned to his old home and married Martha 
Roberts, of Allegany county, New York. He then again came to Oshkosh and in 
connection with John Jones and Ebenezer Watts, under the firm name of Morgan, 
Watts & Jones, successfully conducted a mill for some two and a half years, but fire 
again destroyed the property and left him penniless and in debt. He was now with- 
out means, and being respectfully urged by Mr. Jones, who had means, to form an 
association with him in business, he finally consented and they erected a cheap fac- 



REI'RKSENTATINK MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 737 



tory. About eighteen months later Messrs. McMillen and Davis purchased Mr. 
Jones' interest, and, associated with these gentlemen, he continued to conduct the 
factory for some two years, after which he and his brother purchased the interests 
of McMillen and Davis and continued operations under the name of Morgan 
Brothers. In i860 the fiery element again destroyed their plant, but phoenix-like 
it again arose from its ashes. The brothers then entered upon a season of prosper- 
ity, and it became necessary to operate two mills in order to supply the demand for 
their products of sash, doors and blinds. In 1868 the Morgan Brothers sold their 
interest in the factory and entered upon the manufacture of lumber. Their efforts 
were crowned with success, but misfortune seemed to follow them, and in 1871, 
1874 and 1875 their plants were destroyed by fire. In 1882 Mr. Albert T. Morgan, 
the son of our subject, was admitted to partnership and the business was continued 
under the firm name of Morgan Brothers & Company. 

Mr. Morgan has from time to time become interested in various financial insti- 
tutions. He was one of the organizers of the National Union Bank of Oshkosh, 
and for more than fifteen years has been a director of that successful concern. He 
is also a large stockholder of the Howard Paper Mill Company of Neenah, and of 
the D. C. Stores Furniture Company of Oshkosh, and was also one of the organi- 
zers of the Oshkosh Match Company, of which he is still a stockholder. He has 
extensive investments in Mexico and Texas, and is largely interested in the Front- 
oriza silver mine of Coahuila county, Mexico. The Wakefield Iron, Coal and 
Land Improvement Company of Llano and Mason counties, Texas, counts him 
among its large stockholders. He also has extensive tracts of wild land in the 
Northwest. 

Politically Mr. Mogan is a stanch Republican and has represented his ward as 
Alderman in the City Council during several years. He was nominated by his 
party for the Mayoralty, but owing to the excessive Democratic contingent re- 
siding in Oshkosh, he failed of election, a result he had clearly anticipated. 
However, as an indication of the esteem in which he was held by tho.se who knew 
him best, it should be stated that he received more votes in his own ward than 
have ever been received from that ward by any ()th(;r candidate for an elective 
office. 

Socially Mr. Morgan is much esteemed and he is courteous, considerate and 
polite to all. He was recently elected an honorary member of the National Cyro- 
dorion Society. He is an active member of the Zion Congregational Church, which 
he has served as Elder for the past thirty-six years. For many years he was a mem- 
ber of the board of trustees and has proved true and faithful to the church interests. 

Mr. Morgan's first wife died in 1858 and in 1861 he married MissEleanore Rob- 
erts. To them have been born three children, Albert T., Eva and Kate. 

Mr. Morgan has traveled extensively, both in this country and abroad. He 
has visited the continent of Europe as well as the British isles. He has spent some 
time in Colorado and in California, and by friction with the inhabitants of the 
world has become a student of human nature and a friend of humanity. He is do- 
mestic in his tastes and habits and his happiest hours are passed within the circle of 
his honu-. 



J2^2) BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Mr. Morgan holds the high position he has attained entirely by his own efforts 
and tireless energy. He has made it a principle throughout his career to lead his 
men in their work; he has never requested an ciiiploijc to do what he would not at- 
tempt himself. For this reason his employes have ever served him faithfully and 
well, and have ever been satisfied with their surroundings. His career is deserving 
of praise, for he has overcome obstacle upon obstacle. He has pushed barriers 
aside and can proudly look back over his entire life and truthfully say that his 
hours have been well spent. He is a firm friend of the church and endeavors to 
lead a worthy Christian life, doing much to alleviate the misery of his fellow beings. 

For nearly forty years Mr. Morgan has been a resident of Oshkosh and during 
all that time he has so conducted his affairs, whether of private interest or public 
trust, as to merit the confidence and esteem of the entire community, and in this 
volume his name is entitled to a prominent position among those of the eminent 
and self-made men of the State of Wisconsin. 



THOMAS BARDON, 



THOMAS BARUON was born in Maysville, Mason county, Kentucky, October 
22, 1848, and is the second of the seven children of Richard and Mary 
(Roche) Bardon, of Wexford, Ireland, from which city they emigrated to the United 
States in 1844. Going back a generation farther it may be said that both of our 
subjects' grandfathers took part in the Irish rebellion of 1798. 

Richard Bardon was, at the time of his arrival in New York, a shoemaker by 
occupation, and he pursued his calling in that city and in Kentucky, to which State 
he moved with his family after a short time. 

In 1857 he removed again, this time to Superior, Wisconsin, where he after- 
ward became Clerk of the Court and latter County Judge, which office he held at 
the time of his death, which occurred in the latter named city, January 11, 1889 
He was always a temperance advocate, of strong mind, noted for his unforgiving 
hatred of everything dishonest in all walks of life. He was fond of books, espe- 
cially of the poets, and owned one of the best libraries in Superior. Of his three 
sons, two, James and John A., are prominent and wealthy business men and bankers 
of Superior, while Thomas, the subject of this sketch, stands equally high in the city 
of Ashland. 

Our subject attended the common schools in both Kentucky and Wisconsin, 
and also attended the Superior high school, at which he graduated in 1866. 
Most of his knowledge, however, has been obtained in the valuable school of expe- 
rience. Upon leaving school he became connected with a local paper, and in 1867 
went out as chainman on the preliminary survey of the Northern Pacific Railroad, 
in the engineering corps. This occupation he followed during the next five years, 
reaching the grade of division engineer, traveling during this period over all the 




^ 

Y/:?'/^^ 




'^ '^i^^i^!''C^<J 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 741 



region from Lake Superior to the Red and Missouri rivers, on several occasions 
walking the entire distance. In 1871 he was tendered, and declined, a responsible 
position in the management of the land department of the Northern Pacific Rail- 
road, which was then being organized. 

In 1872 he resigned from the employ of the railroad company, and on |une ist, 
of that year, located at Ashland, where he immediately engaged in the real-estate 
business, a business that he has successfully followed ever since. 

In 1S84 the Ashland National Bank, the United States depository, the oldest 
bank in the city, was organized; of this institution Mr. Bardon is president, and it 
is largely to his financial and executive ability that its success is due. He is a di- 
rector and large stockholder of the First National Bank, of the Ashland Street 
Railway Company and the Ashland Lighting Company. He is also the senior 
member of the mercantile house of Bardon, Kellogg & Company, of Ashland. Mr. 
Bardon is perhaps the heaviest individual owner of real estate in Ashland. 

In addition to the foregoing enterprises, Mr. Bardon is largely interested in 
iron mines on the Gogebic, V'ermillion and Mesaba ranges, controlling some of the 
most valuable properties in those localities. He is president of the Pioneer Iron 
Company, whose mine on the Vermillion range adjoins that of the famous Chand- 
ler mine, and is vice-president of the Northern Chief Iron Company, a corporation 
owning the fee of a large number of mines on the Gogebic iron range. 

In his political views, Mr. Bardon is a Democrat; perhaps it would be more ap- 
propriate to say "a protective-tariff Democrat," for he is an advocate of a fair sys- 
tem of protection. He is not, however, a politician, though he takes a deep interest 
in public affairs. He has been a member of the State Central Committee, but resigned 
therefrom before the e.xpiration of his term. He was chairman of the Ashland Town 
Board and a member of the School Board, also president of the Ashland Chamber of 
Commerce. 

Mr. Bardon was married November 6 1884, to Miss Jennie Grant, of Winona, 
Minnesota. Of this union have been born two children. Belle and Thomas, Jr. 



GILBERT MAURICE SIMMONS, 



IN recording the lives of the representative men of a community, we might say of 
almost any of them that he was born in such a -year, that he was sent to the 
common school or the college, that he entered business or public life, and was 
chosen to fill positions of trust where ability and integrity were necessarj', and 
that he finally passed away admired and respected by all, his death being mourned 
by the entire community. This would be in the main a true outline of the practical 
workings and doings of nine out of ten of them, but in filling in the details of this 
sketch, in clothing the dry frame of facts with the flesh and blood of the reality, it 
will be found that the ap|)arent similarity of developments has given rise to the 
ulmost <ii\ersitv of individualitv of ciiaracter. 



742 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

There has been no one in Kenosha whose Hfe was more unUke that of the av- 
erage man than that of Gilbert Maurice Simmons. In structure of mind, in the rare 
dinity and elevation of his character, he stood out from among his contemporaries 
in bold and positive relief, and had he been permitted to run the allotted course of 
life, would undoubtedly have left indelibly his mark upon the entire business world 
of the United States. The eldest son of Zalmon G. and Emma E. (Robinson) 
Simmons, he was born in Kenosha on the 2d of July, 1852, and when he had attained 
a sufficient age entered the public schools, his primary education being afterward 
supplemented by study in the Northwestern University, at Evanston, Illinois, at 
which institution he was graduated in the class of 1875. He then went to Europe 
and spent two years in Berlin, Germany, acquiring during that time a perfect 
knowledge of the German language, after which he returned to Kenosha. 

Here Mr. Simmons entered mercantile pursuits, as a means of acquainting him- 
self with commercial life, and in this line successfully continued operations for sev- 
eral years. The remarkable facility with which he mastered financial subjects led 
the stockholders of the First National Bank of Kenosha to elect him cashier of that 
institution in January, 1888, and he ably and acceptably tilled that position up to the 
time of his death. He was also president of the Lane Manufacturing Company, 
one of the leading enterprises of the city, and its success was largely due to his pru- 
dent and sagacious management. 

Although a young man, Mr. Simmons was one of the most highly educated, 
best informed and most cultured men of Kenosha. By nature he was finely en- 
dowed with rare qualities of mind and heart, and his educational advantages placed 
him far ahead of the average man, his life being one of rapid and merited advance- 
ment and development. His indomitable energy and ability brought prosperity to 
every enterprise with which he was connected, and in early youth he imbibed the 
sound doctrines of commerce from his father, a practical business man, to whose 
counsel our subject was an attentive and eager auditor. The lessons he received 
from such a source must doubtless have served to encourage his free spirit of truth, 
for which he was so greatly distinguished. Of him one of his associates said: " I 
have not in all my life known a more assiduous psrson in the discharge of his ap- 
propriate duties; I have known no man who has wasted less of life in what is called 
recreation, or employed less of it in any pursuit not connected with the immediate 
discharge of his duties, and I indulge in a grateful recollection that I have known 
him and can speak of him to those who will fill our places." 

Outside of his business he either devoted himself to the acquisition of knowl- 
edge pertaining to the subject of duties before him or else he was indulging in 
those social interviews in which he so much delighted, with a charm in his conver- 
sation not often equaled, especially as applied to his intercourse with young men. 
He had ever a kind word and pleasant smile for those who met him, and his kindly 
manner was familiar to every one in Kenosha; rich and pj)r, high and low, re- 
ceived alike the same kind consideration at his home. He had the undisputed 
basis of all high characters, that of unpolluted integrity and unimpeachable honor. 
His aspirations were high, honorable and noble, and in the minds and hearts of 
those who knew him he left a strong and lasting impression of his personal charac- 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 743 

ter and coiiimercial performances. His political afliliations were with the Reinibli- 
can party, although he was entirely devoid of political aspirations. 

It was in Mr. Simmons' domestic life, however, that he pre-eminently won the 
homage of all hearts. Life with him was solemn and earnest, and yet all about him 
was cheerful. He was married on the 2Qth of March, 1878, in Evanston, Illinois, to 
Miss Juliet Clarkson, who with their daughter Elizabeth survives him. He had the 
courteous bearing and indulgent kindness of the American son, husband and father, 
and always disregarded personal comforts in his desire to serve his loved ones. It 
seemed that he could not do too much to enhance their happiness or promote their 
welfare; and to this fact in a great measure may be attributed his death, as hissys- 
tem was exhausted by his unremitting and sacrificing care of his sick child. His 
deep love for his parents was often impressively manifest, as he once showed in 
speaking of his father, " Is father not the dearest and best man in the world?" was 
once his question. His profound love for his family, his interest in his friends, and 
his kindness and justice in every transaction, were conspicuous virtues in him, yet 
he shunned ostentation and was ever adverse to display. The purity of his char- 
acter is best set forth in the memoriam, presented by the Business Men's Association 
of Kenosha, to the bereaved members of his family at the time of his death. This 
memorial is as follows: 

" The Business Men's Club of Kenosha desires to express to the family and 
friends of Gilbert M. Simmons its appreciation of his sterling merits. The com- 
mittee upon whom this sad task devolves feel keenly the fact that mere words fail 
to convey the feelings of this club or the feelings of this community. Rarely does 
the touch of death enter the doors of an entire city. Seldom does a man die of 
whom it can be said that every one who knew him is a mourner. When a keen 
and heartfelt grief pervades an entire community, when there is imiversal mourning 
over the loss of a citizen in the private walks of life, when sorrow is spontaneous, 
not only among those who were personal friends, but among all, men of ever}' sta- 
tion in life, — rich and poor, weak and powerful, humble and exalted, — what can 
mere words add to such testimony ? 

"The rod has fallen. The pall of death and grief covers the hearts of those 
who knew and loved him best. A cloud has settled upon their lives. Yet there is 
a silver lining to that cloud, that, despite its gloom, shows the light of heaven be- 
yond. That husband, father, son and brother was an honest man. God's highest, 
noblest attributes were stamped upon his soul in living characters. His life is a 
poem, — grand and eloquent. Honest, brave, true, unselfish, gentle, — what more can 
be said of any man/ His life was brief, but it compassed a full, complete, rounded 
manhood. I here is no sting in his death; no victory wonl)y the grave. He is not 
dead. The good never die. He who has so lived that his memory is revered and 
honored by his fellow-men, is a victor over death. The grave may claim his mor- 
tal dust, but the spirit that animated that dust will live forever. What is there on 
earth to mortal men that savors of divinity save the memory of lives that were 
pure and true; honest and unselfish and brave? The sacred memory of an honest 
man is more to the world than a lifetime of precept. Life would have added to his 
good and noble works, but it could not have added one jot or tittle to his worth. 
What consolation in this to those whose hearts are pierced. 

"To have been the wife, parent, child, brother, friend, of this noble soul is to 
have walked here on earth beside one of God's noljlest creations. No man ever 
knew Gilbert M. Simmons who was not a better man from the contact. He was a 
friend to all and all were friends to him. 



744 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

" He is still with us and amongst us. His house of clay has gone to its last 
resting place, but the beauty of his life, his grand and unselfish spirit, still lives and 
lives for good. His life stands forth a guiding star for those who knew him. The 
world is better that (Gilbert M. Simmons has lived. He was a model man, and the 
world will profit by his example. The hearts of those who knew him well have 
been drawn closer together in the bonds of eternal friendship that neither time nor 
space can sever. Unity of grief has cemented friendships over his grave that will 
be lasting in memory of him we all loved so well. God, in his infinite wisdom, has 
taken him from us. We bow in submission to the Divine decree, and thank God 
that such a man has lived and walked among us, and bettered and sweetened our 
lives. 

"In our feeble way we have expressed the heartfelt sentiment of every person 
who knew Gilbert M. Simmons. 

"We give our tribute with all the fullness of love, and if we have failed to ex- 
press our heart's sentiments, it is a weakness of words but not of feeling. 

James Cavanagh, 1 
N. R. Allen, Jr., [ ^ .,, „ 

C. C. Brown, Committee. 

W. W. Strong, I 
He died of pneumonia, at the early age of thirty-eight, passing away January 
15, i8qo, having accomplished as much as some men do in a long lifetime. Many 
of the business men followed the casket to the grave with the same thought in 
mind which was expressed by Henry Clay at the funeral of John C. Calhoun: " I 
was his senior in years, but in nothing else." Peace with the soul of Gilbert M. 
Simmons. May the earth lie light on thee, and the undying laurel of duty done 
and a life beyond reproach grow green over thy grave, and may all which speaks 
of love and faithfulness chant thy eternal requiem. 



HON. WILLIAM H. UPHAM, 

MARSHP'IELD. 

MAJOR UPHAM was born in Westminster, Massachusetts, on the 3rd of May, 
1841, and is of English descent. The ancestry of the family can be traced 
back to John Upham, a native of Somersetshire, England, who removed to Wy- 
mouth in 1635. His descendents in direct line, were Phineas, John, Samuel, Jona- 
than, Alvin and William H. The last named received such educational privileges 
as were afforded by the common schools. At the age of eleven years he accom- 
panied his parents on their removal to Niles, Michigan, and after the death of his 
father went with his mother to Racine, Wisconsin, in 1853. In those places he pur- 
sued his studies. Upon the outbreaking of the war of the Rebellion he displayed 
his patriotic spirit, and enlisted in the Belle City Rifles, which became a part of the 
Second Wisconsin Infantry. With this regiment he participated in the battle of 
Bull Run, on the 21st day of July, i86i,and in that engagement he was shot through 
the lungs and left on the battle-field for dead. News of his sad death was sent to 
his home and his loss was mourned by relatives and friends, while the papers pub- 




yy-rb^rTL^^LA 



KKPRKSKNTAini-; MKN OK THK UMl KI) STATKS; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 747 



lished long eulogies about him, and a most eloquent funeral sermon was delivered 
in one of the Racine churches, highly commendatory of his character and career. 
The sermon was printed in full, and a copy of it is still preserved by the Major as a 
memento of those stirring times, and a testimonial of the esteem in which he was 
held, even in his boyhood, by those who knew him well. 

Seven months after the battle of Bull Run, Mr. Upham was found in one of the 
Southern prisons, where the long interval had been passed. P>om the battle-field 
he had been taken to Libby prison and held as captive of war for more than half a 
year, when he was paroled, having in the meantime recovered from his apparently 
fatal wound. Leaving prison he reported in Washington, and was sent for by 
President Lincoln, who thought probably he could give him some valuable informa- 
tion in relation to affairs in the South, and this proved to be the case. Mr. Lincoln 
was favorably impressed with the appearance and manly bearing of the young sol- 
dier, and used his personal influence to secure for Mr. Upham a long-coveted posi- 
tion as cadet at West Point, where he was later graduated with honor, on 
the completion of the prescribed course of study. He was then commissioned 
Lieutenant in the Regular United States Army, and it is a singular fact that his first 
duty was to act as officer of the guard to Jefferson Davis, who was then confined as 
a prisoner in Fortress Monroe. 

After ten years' connection with the army Lieutenant Upham resigned, gave up 
his commission and returned to Wisconsin, since which time he has devoted his en- 
ergies to the development of extensive business enterprises in the northern part of 
the State. He has been the leading spirit in the upbuilding of Marshfield, and may 
be truthfully called the founder of the town. Marshfield was platted in 1879, when 
Colonel Upham came to the place and built a sawmill and shingle mill. In addi- 
tion to being identified with extensive lumber interests, Major Upham is also at the 
head of a large furniture manufacturing establishment, is president of the First 
National Bank, of Marshfield, and conducts a large general merchandise store. He 
also operates a planing mill, and a large machine shop, and has the most extensive 
flouring mills in the Northwest. In his various enterprises he employs several hun- 
dred men, and his pay roll amounts to three thousand dollars each week. 

On the 27th of June, 1887, Marshfield was almost entirely destroyed by fire, and 
despair filled the hearts of its residents. Major Upham, though the heaviest loser 
by the conflagration, displayed his characteristic grit, and, unfurling the stars and 
stripes to the breeze, announced to the people his determination to rebuild the city, 
and by the first of January, 1888, sixty-two brick blocks of substantial kind were 
erected and occupied. Major Upham then established many of the enterprises be- 
fore referred to, and through his efforts has made Marshfield one of the thriving 
and rapidly developing cities of northern Wisconsin. His work in this direction 
shows somewhat of the indomitable spirit and perseverance of the man, and indi- 
cates his resolute purpose, his diligence and excellent business ability. 

Major Upham united in marriage with Miss Mary C. Kclley, a lady descended 
from Quaker ancestry, and they have two daughters. 

Major Upham has ever been foremost in anything he has undertaken. He was 
first to enlist in the Belle City Rifles, and was the first soldier ever appointed to 



748 BIOGRArilUAL DR'IIONARY AND I'ORIkAn- GALLERY OF lUK 

West Point. He has ever continued his interest in military affairs, and is a mem- 
ber of both the Loyal Legion and the Grand Army of the Republic, and was elected 
State Commander of the latter for the Department of Wisconsin. He served on the 
staff of Department Commander Lucius Fairchild, as aide-de-camp, with the rank 
of Major, and was appointed by President Arthur on the Board of Visitors to the 
Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. In politics he is an ardent Republican and 
has used all legitimate means to aid his party in its campaigns. His true worth, 
personal magnetism, honorable record and executive ability, added to his personal 
popularity, forced the attention of the people of his State upon him as an available 
candidate for the Governorship. He announced himself as a candidate before the 
Republican State convention, held in Milwaukee, July 25-6, 1894. There were eleven 
candidates before the convention, and although the votes were distributed among 
the candidates, Major Upham from the first ballot led all competitors. The politi- 
cal battle of 1894 will long be remembered as one of the most desperately fought 
campaigns in the history of our country. A reunited Republican party challenged 
its opponents to battle upon issues of national importance, and upon the past and 
present actions of the Democracy. Being unable to boldly face the issues advanced 
by their opponents, the Democrats in various sections, resorted to personal abuse 
of candidates and desired by such means to nullify as nearly as possible the disgust 
and distrust of the masses. In Wisconsin they began to abuse Major Upham, by 
declaring that he forced his employes to accept coupons, or company orders redeem- 
ablei n merchandise at the company's store, instead of cash. Although it was proved, 
by affidavits of workmen who had been employed for many years, that these asser- 
tions were false, the Democratic leaders kept up the cry and by persistent repeti- 
tions disgusted fair-minded men, irrespective of party affiliations, and many of the 
opposition displayed the American love for fair play, and cast their ballots for 
Major Upham. 

The Republican victory in 1894 will be cited for many generations as the great- 
est political contest of the century. Major Upham and his associates placed Wis- 
consin among the banner States. In 1890 his Democratic opponent, Hon. George W. 
Peck, defeated Hon. W. D. Hoard, by a plurality of 28,320. In 1892 Hon. John C. 
Spooner, after a most vigorous campaign, was defeated by Governor Peck by 7,707 
votes. In 1894 Major Upham defeated the twice successful Democratic Governor, 
by a plurality of 53,900, the largest plurality ever given to a gubernatorial candidate 
in Wisconsin. Although delighted with the returns from the State, Major Upham 
was probably more gratified with the esteem and admiration displayed by his fel- 
low townsmen by their votes. In 1892, Wood county, in which Marshfield is located, 
gave Peck a plurality of 441. In 1894 Major Upham carried the county over Peck 
by 1,123. 

Although Major Upham received many congratulatory messages after his nom- 
ination and election to the highest honors within the gift of the State of his adop- 
tion, none gave him as much genuine pleasure as the following resolutions from 
the citizens of the village in which he was born: 

The Republicans of Westminster, Massachusetts, in public meeting assembled 
on the 20th inst., rejoicing over the recent victory won with the borders of our own 




.$/ ^J^ 



-y^ 



KKI'RKSENTATIVK MKN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN XOl.lME. 75 1 

State, also feel a just pride in the elevation and prosperity of all the native sons of 
Westminster, although long removed from her limits, unanimously voted to send 
greeting to you, and extend congratulations for your success and elevation as 
Governor of Wisconsin, your adopted State, believing that the Republican prin- 
ciples for which you stand, when put in operation, will not only promote the 
interests of the inhabitants of your State, but will also restore confidence with 
all the people, and eventually bring happiness and prosperity throughout the 
whole country. 

S. D. SiMONDS, President, / u , i- ^-, , r av- ^ • 

1 1. J. Paktridge. Secretary, \ Kepubhcan C lub of W estminster. 

Westminster, Massachusetts, November 22, 1894. 
To \\ illiani H. I'pham, 

Marshfield, Wisconsin. 
The 7lh day of January, 1805, stands as the date of inauguration into his high 
office His ripe experience as a man of business will enable him to administer the 
affairs of the commonwealth upon sound business principles, and his undoubted in- 
tegrity and strong individuality assure the citizens of the State that he will con- 
trol all branches of the government, uninfluenced by professional politicians or 
unpatriotic advisors. 



ALLEN P. LOVEJOV. 

JANESVILLE, 

HON. ALLEX p. LO\ HJOY, a distinguished business man of Wisconsin and 
ex-State Senator from Rock county, was born in the town of Wayne, Kenne- 
bec county, Maine, on the 20th day of March, 1825. The names of few citizens of 
the .State are better known than that of Mr. Lovejoy. He is vice-president and the 
heaviest stockholder in the Merrill Lumber Company, located in the city of Merrill, 
besides being interested in other lumber enterprises and in several banks. 

Mr. Lovejoy is one of the pioneer lumbermen of Wisconsin, and has through 
these relations become largely connected with a number of extensive enterprises in 
the lumber interest. He came here when quite a young man, and though he worked 
in the employ of others for a time, he was not long in placing himself at the head of 
an institution of his own. His career since has been one of great activity and not 
the least of it has been directly in the interest of the city he has made his home. 
He has given much thought to charitable efforts, while at the same time having 
large interests of his own which constantly demand his attention. Mr. Lovejoy's 
parents were Nathan and Temperance Lovejoy, ucc Wing. They were both natives 
of New Lngland, the father of New Hampshire and the mother of Maine, and came 
from well known ancestors. 

The Lovejoy family is of Lnglish Puritan descent, John Lovejoy, the founder, 
being one of the first free holders in Massachusetts; he died in 1690. Lieutenant 
John Lovejoy an active and valiant soldier of the Revolutionary war was noted for 
his courage and unswerving fidelity to those principles of liberty and truth for which 



752 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OK IHE 

his Puritan anccsters were notctl. 1 lis son, the tatlu-r of our subject, was a man of 
well cleveloi)e(l mental faculties, strong; reasoning- powers, ami firm religious convic- 
tions, which attracted the attention of the surroundin<r community. He was a highly 
honored man of strictest intcij^rity. John Wing, the founder of the Maine fam- 
ily of that name, came to America in 1627. He settled in Massachusetts, but the 
grandfather of our subject moved to Wayne, Maine, in 1794, where he died at an ad- 
vanced age. His name was Allen Wing and he was one of the ablest and most in- 
fluential men in the town in which he lived, and is remembered in connection with 
building the Hrst church in Wayne, defraying the entire cost himself. The father 
of Mr. Lovejoy was a fanner by occupation and raised his children to habits of in- 
dustry, self-reliance and frugality. 

The early education of our subject was obtained at the tlistrict school, and 
was supplemented by a course of study at the Maine Wesleyan Seminar\- at 
Kent Hill, Readfield, Maine. 

Young Lovejoy, from his earliest recollection, was assisting his father on the 
homestead and when he was seventeen years old he began to learn the carpenter's 
trade in his native town. The time given for acquiring an eciucation, though limited, 
the boy made the most of, excelling in the e.xact sciences and in those studies 
where the reasoning powers were most fully exercised. As the carpenter's trade 
only flourished during the summer time, it left Mr. Lovejoy the entire winter season 
to teach school, beginning the latter occupation when but eighteen years of age. 
He continued in that line of work, alternately teaching ancl working at his trade, 
until 1850, when, in his twenty-fifth year, he determined to seek his fortune in the 
broader and more promising field of the great West. Reaching Milwaukee in the 
early summer of 1850 he soon set out on foot for Janesville, then a village of 
2,000 inhabitants, landing with a very limited amount of this world's goods but 
determination to succeed which with that has at all times characterized his under- 
takings. 

Immediately upon arriving he secured work at his trade and continued until the 
latter part of 185 1, when he went to Beloit. Here he became connected with a lum- 
ber firm, first as an employe and later on as a partner in the business. In 1853 he 
returned to Janesville and resumed his business as a contractor and builder. He was 
a first-class mechanic and he soon extended his business by selling lumber on com- 
mission, meanwhile continued his building until 1863. At this time he began to de- 
vote his entire time to the lumber business which had grown to considerable pro- 
portions, and continued under the name of Lovejoy & Company. In 1870 Mr. Love- 
joy formed a partnership with Mr. j. Richards, of Oregon. Wisconsin, and opened 
number of yards in tlifferent parts of the State conducting them under the firm name 
of Lovejey & Richards. 

1868 Mr. Lovejoy began investing in pine lands, and since then, in company 
with others, he has engaged in logging on the Wolf, Chippewa and Wisconsin rivers, 
and in extensive milling business. 

He was an extensive stockholder in the Harris Manufacturing Company, which 
has been succeeded by the Janesville Machine Company. He is now a trustee of 
the former while its affatrs are being wound up and was its president from 1875. In 



KEPRESENTATIVK MEN Ol- THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOl.UMK. 753 

the hitter he is tht; presidiMit. lie is a director in the Jaiiesville Cotton Maiui- 
factiirin<f Company and was formerly president of the New McLean Manufacturinir 
Company but he sold his interest in that corporation. He was proprietor of the 
Monterey flouring Mills, now leased for other purposes. He is also vice-presi- 
tlent of the State Lumber Company, director in the Lovejoy & Anson Lumber 
Company and United States Lumber Company, and an owner of farm lands loca- 
ted throughout the State. 

In political affairs Mr. Lovejoy affiliates with tlie Republican party but is in no 
wise a politician nor a seeker for political preferment. It is true that he has held 
otfices of importance tendered him by the people of his vicinity. His services have 
been of merit and he is looked upon as one of the stanchest supporters of good 
government. In 1878 he was chosen to represent his district in the State Assem- 
I)ly, by one of the largest majorities ever cast for a candidate for that office in his 
district. 

In 1881 he was elected Mayor of Janesville over an exceedingly popular fellow- 
citizen, and in 1886 he was elected State Senator by a majority greatly in excess of 
that given in the ticket upon which he was elected. 

His faithful attention to the interest of his constituents fully justifies the 
popularity in which he was held. Lie is independent and, having the character 
of a leader, is looked upon as such. 

He is a self-made man in every sense of that often misused term, is six feet tall, 
unusually active; his strong limbs, ruddy complexion and robust proportions readily 
suggesting a man years his junior. Mentally and physically he would be notice- 
able in the company of the best specimens of manhood. In ordinary inter- 
course his manner is affable, combining the qualities of the gentleman and the ex- 
perienced man of affairs. He is logical in all his methods and has no convictions 
that have not been reached by a process of reasoning. His mind is strong and 
comprehensive, but he never troubles himself with many details. 

The most important and interesting event in Mr. Lovejoy's life occurred May 
2gth, 1880, at New Ilaven, Connecticut when he was united in marriage with Miss 
lulia I. Stow, daughter of Henry Stowe, Esq. She is a cultivated lady and a scholar 
Her father is a Baptist Deacon of over sixty years' standing: he is now in his nine- 
tieth year. 

The home of Mr. Lovejoy is one in which arts and graces are cultivated, and 
within it he finds relaxation in the exercise of a delightful hospitality and in the 
company of his wife and children, of whom he is exceedingly fond. They are the 
parents of three sons and one daughter. Allen P. the eldest, born in 1882, is a lad 
of remarkable mental and physical development, his mental capacity during a 
short conversation with the writer, showing clearly that the future held great 
promises of his keeping the name of Lovejoy in the very enviable position to which 
his father has raised it. The second son is Henry S., born in 1885. Julia, born 
in 1888, and Webster Ellis, born in iSgi. 

Mr. Lovejoy's mind is much given to theological matters, but his theories do 
not partake of any commonly' accepted creed. He has striven hard and long and 
formulated a rule of life peculiarly his own. He considers a religious life the 



754 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALI.KRV OF THE 

chief duty and blessing of man and desires to partake in tlie work of improving 
himself and the world, being dissatisfied with a faith not striving for the highest 
perfection of which mortal man is capable. He is a man more after the Unitarian 
pattern than any other, but contributes liberally and frequently of his means to 
churches of all denominations. 

He is a member of the Masonic order and belongs to Wisconsin Commandery, 
Knights Templar. 

He has traveled somewhat on the continent of Europe, in addition to his visits 
to various parts of United States. The old native State, however, holds his greatest 
love. The old Wayne farm where he first saw the light of day, is now in his pos- 
session and he occasionally goes to enjoy the beauties of that attractive country. It 
lies almost in the shadow of the great White mountains, upon which can be seen 
the snow at all seasons of the year. At the foot of the farm are seen beautiful 
lakes and the quaint old New England villages. Near here is also located the 
Wing burying ground, so called for generations, and also the Lovejoy burying 
ground, whefe his ancestors sleep, and which our subject always visits when in that 
State. At Wayne is located the Wing Public Library to which Mr. Lovejoy is a 
contributor. Though liberal, he hates ostentation and prefers to let the public 
know nothing of his charities 

He is a typical American and occupies a prominent place in the industrial world 
in the great commonwealth of Wisconsin. 



GEORGE G. GREENE, 

GREEN BAY. 

ONE of the most prominent of the members of the Wisconsin bar is George G. 
Greene, who is a native of the Empire State, having been born at Brockett's 
Bridge, Herkimer county, November i8, 1843. His parents were Nathan S. and 
Elizabeth (Griswold) Greene, the former a native of Vermont, the latter of New 
York, and were both members of old families in those States. When our subject 
was but three years old his parents moved to Milford, Jefferson county, Wisconsin, 
and here his youth was passed. He spent two years at the University of Wiscon- 
sin, at Madison, and then attended a military school at Fulton, Illinois. It was 
during this period that the great war of the Rebellion was being carried on, and 
young Greene, while attending school at Fulton, enlisted, in 1864, with a company 
from the academy, in Company I, 140th Illinois Infantry, for one hundred days. 
He was made Corporal as soon as the company was formed. 

His regiment joined the army at LaFayette, near Memphis, Tennessee, after 
having been in rendezvous at Springfield, and engaged in guard duty on the Mem- 
phis & Charleston railroad. They were in service seven months before discharged 
and released from military obligations. 

Upon his graduation at Fulton, in 1865, Mr. Greene held the rank of Major, re- 
ceiving his commission from Governor Oglesby. He then went to Madison and 





■Wrw 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES) WISCONSIN VOLUME. 757 

entered upon the study of law in the office of Keycs tv Hastin<^s of that city, and 
a year later entered the law department of Columbia College, New N'ork, from 
which he was graduated after a two years' course. He returned in 1868 to Wiscon- 
sin and was at once admitted to practice in the Circuit Court of I5rown county, 
and in the following year to the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. 

As is the case with all young lawyers he was at the commencement of iiis prac- 
tice obliged to compete with men of ability, learning and experience, but he was 
young, full of energy and ambition, and he rose rapidly in his chosen profession. 

His residence in Green Bay dates from 1868, and a year later he became asso- 
ciated as a partner with Messrs. Ellis and Hastings. Mr. Ellis was elected to the 
Circuit Bench in 1872, when the firm became Hastings & Greene, and so continued 
till 1884, when Mr. Hastings succeeded Judge Ellis on the bench, and Mr. Greene 
resumed his connection with the latter, the firm of Ellis, Greene & Merrill being 
formed. It was during this year that Mr. Greene was admitted to practice in the 
United States Supreme Court. Later Mr. Greene withdrew from the last named 
firm and formed a partnership with Mr. Vroman, and the firm of Greene & Yro- 
man has become one of the most prominent legal firms in the State. 

In 1885 Mr. Greene was appointed a member of the State Board of Examiners 
appointed by the Supreme Court to examine candidates for admission to the bar. 
The other members of the board were at that time: Moses M. Strong, Joshua Stark, 
L. J. Rusk and A. L. Sanborn. He is also one of the commisijianers appointed by 
the Governor for interstate conference with the idea of securing uniformity of 
laws. 

Mr. Greene was united in marriage to Miss Nathalie P. Clapp, Jinie 10, 1875. Of 
this union has been born one son. Dexter I., who died before he reached his fourth 
year. Mrs. Greene is a native of Wisconsin, Kenosha being her place of birth: her 
father was descended from one of the old families of Dutchess county. New York, 
while her mother was a member of the McCoy family. 

Mr. Greene has declined professional association in large cities, preferring to 
make his home at Green Bay. He is a Republican, but has never been active in 
politics, nor has he ever held an elective office. In 1893 he was urged before the 
convention of the State bar as a candidate for Justice of the Supreme Court, at the 
election of the spring of that year, but refused to enter into any contest for the office. 

Mr. Greene has been engaged in some of the most important litigation in Wis- 
consin, as will be observed from the following partial list of cases: State ex rel. Lamb 
vs. Cunningham, — the celebrated gerrymander case, in which the jurisdiction of the 
.Supreme Court to review and set aside a legislative apportionment of Senate and 
Assembly districts was sustained and exercised. 83 Wis., go. Wisconsin Central 
Railway Company vs. F'orsythe et al., which determined the conflicting claims of 
the plaintiff and the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Company to 
their overlapping land grants. 43 Fed., 867. The Strongs bank cases, involving 
the rights of creditors against insolvent banking corporations and their officers. 
62 Wis., 590. Falls Manufacturing Company vs. Oconto River Improvement Com- 
pany, wherein the right of the State to authorize the use of flooding dams on float 
able rivers for log-driving, as against water-power owners, was in controversy. S^y 



758 BIOGKAl'llICAL DICTIONARY AND rORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Wis., 134. The Patten Paper Company et al. vs. the Green Bay and Missis- 
sippi Canal Company, which involves the right of defendant to use the water power 
of Fox river from its canal to the destruction of the water powers of riparian own- 
ers on the river. The Goodrich Transportation Company cases, in which it was 
sought to make that company liable for all damage by the fire which destroyed a 
great part of the city of Green Bay in 1880. 69 Wis 5; 60 Wis., 141. The Oneida 
County tax cases, in which important questions of taxation were adjudicated. The 
T. B. Scott Lumber Company vs. Oneida County. 72 Wis. ,158. 

The cases cited above are a few of the more important causes in which Mr. 
Greene has participated. As a lawyer at the bar his ability is conceded to be equal 
to that of any of his contemporaries. An eminent jurist, whose opportunities for 
estimating the qualifications of the members of the legal profession were of the 
best, in speaking to the writer of the abilities of the prominent members of the bar 
of the State, said that he "considered George Greene, of Green Bay, head and 
shoulders above most lawyers of the State, and that he knew of no member of the 
.State bar who could be called his superior." 



HON. WILLIAM ROBERT TAYLOR, 

COTTAGE GROVE. 

WISCONSIN has many strong characters who stand out among their contem- 
poraries endowed with a personality, rugged strength and vigor peculiarly 
their own. These qualities were the product partly of inheritance and partly of a 
condition of affairs which has forever ceased to exist. 

When Wisconsin was invaded by the pioneer, when society was scarcely organ- 
ized and there were no graded schools in which the minds of the genius and dullard 
could be brought to fill the measure of mediocrity, there was room for development 
of a type of men that is, unhappily for us, fast passing away. They were strong 
brainy, intense men, with whom to think was to act. Stronger men intellectually 
may be produced with our improved educational conditions, and, no doubt, will be; 
but it is doubtful if Wisconsin ever produced a class of men, of which Philetus Saw- 
yer, William R. Taylor and Jeremiah Rusk are types, who can do the work which 
the times demanded better than they did the duty which was laid upon them. 

Of all the various characters which have come to Wisconsin to assist in devel- 
oping her matchless destiny, there is none stronger in native force, richer in solid 
self-acquired learning, or endowed with a greater versatility than Hon. William R- 
Taylor, better known from one end of Wisconsin to the other, whether in the for- 
est or on the prairie, in the city, town or hamlet, as the " Farmer Governor." 

Though born in the United States, and in all his actions, sentiments and feelings 
a typical American and a most patriotic citizen, he, nevertheless, is of pure Scotch 
blood and possesses the sterling qualities of that hardy race. He was born in Con- 
necticut, July 10, 1820. His advent into this world was particularly sad, for he was 
but three weeks old when his mother died. Thus, bereft of all maternal care, he 
reached the age of six years, when his father, a sea captain, was lost on the ocean. 







mmi. 



Rlil'KKSl'.MAinK Ml'X OK IIIK I-MIKI) SIATKS; WISCONSIN XOl.UMK. 76 1 



Left entirely to strangers, his guardianship was entrusted to a family of pioneer 
farmers who moved to Jefferson county, New York, at that time a wild and '-parsely 
inhabited section of the then far West. Mr. Taylor spent his boyhood years there, 
under the care of unsympathetic strangers, who, hardened by the exposure of pio- 
neer life, demanded of him the greatest amount of physical work that his strength 
could perform, and treated him with a degree of harshness that denoted all absence 
of love or sympathy. 

The entire educational advantages of our suVjject consisted of the limitcil in- 
struction obtainable in the distant district school, whither he daily walked during 
the severe winter months two milesdistant. Without money, relatives or friends, his 
life was one of bitterness and cheerlessness, but the spirit which fortified his efforts 
encouraged him to endeavor to better his condition by leaving his unhappy sur- 
roundings and starting to make his own way in the world. Before reaching his six- 
teenth year he awakened to the necessity of an education, and for several years he 
alternated at chopping wood and working in the harvest field to obtain the requisite 
means to attend school. This unceasing effort resulted in his securing a certificate 
of admission to the third term of the sophomore class of Union College, at Sche- 
nectady, New York. But, though he had secured a good academic education, he was 
not financially able to enter upon a collegiate course. On the day that the class of 
which he was a member left for college to complete its studies, Mr. Taylor went into 
the sugar bush, and, with his own hands and a team to haul the wood and sap, pro- 
duced during the season eleven hundred pounds of sugar and two barrels of mo- 
lasses, with which to pay tuition and board bills already contracted. Soon after he 
began teaching a select school, and later on an academy. 

In 1840 he went to Elyria, Ohio, where he joined a class of forty-live young 
men who were preparing themselves to teach school. At that time the school au- 
thorities of LaPorte, Ohio, offered an extra price for any teacher who could man- 
age their public school, it having become notorious for disorder and violence. The 
previous winter three teachers had undertaken the task and failed, so that the school 
was entirely broken up. This was an opportunity young Taylor coveted. During 
the third winter under his management it became the premium school of the county- 

We next find him running a gristmill, a sawmill and a cupola furnace, and he 
was regarded the best moulder of the foundry. Failing health from overwork 
caused him to devote his sparetimeto reading medicine, and in the winter of 1845-6 
he attended a five months' course of lectures and clinical instruction in the medi- 
cal college at Cleveland, Ohio. During his residence in Ohio he was elected Cap- 
tain of a company of Ohio uniformed militia, receiving every vote of the company. 
Later he was elected Colonel. In the fall of 1848 Mr. Taylor came to Wisconsin 
and settled on a farm in Cottage Grove, Dane county, where he still resides. His 
life was for many years one of great activity and incessant toil. 

Not content with the ordinary labors of the farm, he resorted to tin: i)ineries 
during the winter months, and as a workman became identified with tiie hardships 
of that enterprising class of our population, which has contributed so much to the 
wealth of the -State. The result of the severe experienci? we have narrated is man- 
ifest in the whole character of the man. 



762 hi()Grai'iir:ai, diltionaky and roRTRAir gallery of the 

During his boyhood and early manhood he was a pupil, teacher, miller, foundry- 
man, raftsman and lumberman by turns, and, for nearly a third of a century a prac- 
tical farmer; therefore his sympathies for the laboring classes and his interest in 
the prosperity of the industrial communities is intuitive and sincere. 

Soon after Governor Taylor located at Cottage Grove his neighbors recognized 
his ability and began to bestow official favors upon him, and for forty years he has 
hardly been without some public duty to perform. At times he has received nearly 
all the votes cast, and twice all the votes for the Chairman of his town. He has 
been Superintendent of Public Schools; several times chairman of the County 
Board of Supervisors; for seventeen years was County Superintendent of the Poor 
until he resigned; was appointed deputy Internal Revenue Collector, and was trus- 
tee, vice-president and a member of the executive board of the State Hospital for 
Insane from the time of its reorganization in i860 until he became Governor in 1874. 
He has been a member of both branches of the Legislature of Wisconsin. He was 
for seven years president of the Dane County Agricultural Society; eight years 
Chief Marshal, and two years president of the Wisconsin State Agricultural As- 
sociation; and during the late war was the first man in Dane county to offer 
a bounty to volunteers for enlistment, which bounty secured four enlistments. 

In 1873 Governor Taylor was by acclamation placed in nomination for Gov- 
ernor by a convention composed of " Democrats, Liberal Republicans and other 
electors favorable to genuine reform through equal and impartial legislation, hon- 
esty in office and rigid economy in the administration of public affairs." The State 
was strongly Republican, and his opponent was C. C. Washburn, then Governor. 
He was elected by a majority of 15,411. The popularity of Mr. Taylor as a political 
candidate is best demonstrated by the fact that he was the candidate of a minority 
party when elected chairman of the County Board of Supervisors, member of the 
Assembly, State Senator and Governor, 

Mr. Taylor performed the duties of Governor with remarkable skill and ability. 
He has rare qualifications of executive function, coolness, courage and an under- 
lying foundation of common sense and devotion to what he believes to be right. His 
appointments in respect to the educational-reformatory and penal institutions under 
the care of the State were more nearly non-partisan than it has been the good for- 
tune of Wisconsin ever before or since to secure. His high aim was to secure men 
of peculiar fitness for the management of public affairs, particularly the educational 
institutions, and thus some of the best men in both parties, independent of pressure, 
importvmity or attack, were commissioned by him. The appointment of the Hon. 
E. G. Ryan to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court will forever redound to his 
credit. The action of the Governor in the matter of this appointment will appear 
the more praiseworthy when the history of that eventful time is recalled. Then 
nearly every eminent lawyer in the State was under retainer from some one of the 
great railway corporations. This was especially true of most of the prominent at- 
torneys whose personal and political relations to the Governor caused their names 
to be generally regarded among the probable recipients of the executive favor 
The great struggle for legislative control of the railways all foresaw must soon be 
carried upon appeal to the highest courts, .State and national. Throughout the en- 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES) WISCONSIN VOLUME. 763 

tire country all eyes were turned upon Wisconsin, under its granger Governor, the 
conceded battle-tield of the momentous conflict already begun. F"rom the circum- 
stances of the situation, the Governor had an important, yet very delicate, duly to 
perform. He at once saw, however, that in his appointment of a Chief Justice he 
must find some one whose legal attainments, whose personal qualifications and whose 
high character would at once defy criticism. After long and mature deliberation, 
meanwhile keeping his own counsels, even from his most intimate friends, the ap- 
pointment of !\Ir. Ryan was announced. The selection was universally commended 
in all quarters. It was hailed with expressions of general satisfaction by all parties 
whose interests were involved in the great legal conflict then coming on. In the 
subsequent opinion of the great Chief Justice sustaining the principle of legislative 
control of railroads, an opinion afterward af^rmed by the Supreme Court of the 
United States, the wisdom of Governor Taylor's appointment finds fullest vindica- 
tion. 

As just indicated, the most important work of (Governor Taylor's term was the 
enforcement of the so-called " Potter Law," which aimed to place the railways under 
State control, limiting charges for transportation of passengers and freight and the 
classification of freight. 

At the outset the two chief railway corporations of the State served formal no- 
tice upon the Governor that they would not respect the provisions of this law. 
Under his oath of ofifice to support the constitution and to " take care " that the laws 
be faithfully executed, he promptly responded to the notification of the railroad 
companies by a proclamation, dated May i, 1874, in which he enjoined compliance 
with the statute, declaring that all the functions of his office would be exercised in 
faithfully executing the laws. "The law of the land," said he, "must be respected and 
obeyed. While none are so humble as to be beneath its protection, none are so 
great or so strong as to be above its restraints." The result was an appeal to the 
courts, in which the (Governor and his advisors were forced to confront an array of 
the most formidable legal talent of the country. Upon the result in Wisconsin 
depended the vitality of similar legislation in other States, and Governor Taylor 
was thus compelled to bear the brunt of a controversy of national extent and con- 
sequence. The contention extended both to State and United States courts, the 
main question involved being the constitutional power of the State over corporations 
of its own creation. In all respects the State was fully sustained in its position, and 
ultimately judgmctnts were rendered against the corporations in all the State and 
Federal courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States, and establishing 
finally the complete and absolute power of the people, through the Legislature, to 
modify or altogether reapel the charters of corporations. 

It might be stated in this connection that Governor Taylor personally corre- 
sponded with Judge David Davis, a member of the United States Supreme Court, 
earnestly requesting him to come to Wisconsin and preside at the trial of a test case; 
and he consented. And thus was settled by Governor Taylor and his administration 
a momentous issue between the people and the corporations — an issue vitally affect- 
ing all the commercial and agricultural interests of the State. 



764 KIOGRAI'HICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Among the creditable acts of his administration were those securing $800,000 
from the general (iovernment for the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers Improvement 
in the interest of commerce and navigation; divichng the State lands into dis- 
tricts, and making each timber agent responsible for his locality, by which he 
recovered largely increased sums to the trespass fund; compelling the Wis- 
consin Central Railway Company to give substantial assurance that the pro 
jected line from Stevens Point to Portage should be constructed; and, by taking 
such prompt and decisive action against what he believed to be a fraudulent 
printing claim, that there was saved to the taxpayers of the State more than 
$100,000. Furthermore, in view of the recent important litigation on behalf of the 
State against the ex-treasurers for the recovery of interest money received by them 
from the banks, the wisdom and foresight of Governor Taylor is shown in a recom- 
mendation contained in both of his annual messages to the Legislature favoring 
either the collection of taxes semi-annually without additional cost to the people, or 
providing for the loaning of the surplus in the general fund, obtained by taxation, 
at a fair rate of interest, thereby giving some compensation for advancing the money 
so long before needed in the public business. Had Governor Taylor's suggestion 
respecting the investment of the public funds been followed by the treasurers of 
the State, much individual mortification and public scandal would have been avoided 
during subsequent years. He was an active promoter of the agricultural depart- 
ment of the State University, and an ardent advocate of farmers' institutes — the 
educational benefits of which cannot be estimated. 

In his last annual message Governor Taylor recommended the passage of some 
law rendering railway companies liable for injury to their employes resulting from 
the negligence of co-employes. His recommendation in this regard was embodied 
in a bill subsequently passed and known as the " Co-employe law," a wholesome 
measure designed to afford greater security to the lives of the railway employes and 
of the traveling public as well. He also recommended that in large cities the polls 
of election should be held open longer in the evening, so that working men could 
vote without much loss of time. 

Governor Taylor instituted suit against a multi-millionaire lumber company to 
recover damages for its trespasses upon the public lands, and his agents secured 
proof which was deemed by able counsel ample and positive to recover several hun- 
dred thousand dollars; but the six years statute of limitation had already run against 
all but about $250,000. This great company, with its 2,000 employes, more or less, 
put forth strenuous efforts to prevent his re-election; that result having been at- 
tained, the suit was so defaulted and frittered away that little or nothing was ever 
realized by the State from the litigation. Within this time the conflict between 
Wisconsin and Minnesota as to the inlet to Superior harbor reached a crisis, and 
under his direction the suits involving certain rights in dispute were successfully' 
prosecuted in the F'ederal and Supreme courts, but the advantages gained for the 
State were subsequently lost by compromise or neglect after the close of his term. 
All these are conspicuous examples of vigor and efficiency in the administration of 
public affairs during Governor Taylor's term, rarely equalled and never excelled 
in the history of the State. 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOUIME. 765 



His atliiiinistration was a reformatory one. Its members started in by pay- 
ing their own inauguration expenses, — a privilege not exercised before in many 
years, if ever, in the State. Governor Taylor set another example by accept- 
ing no railroad passes or telegraph deadheads during his term of office. Dur- 
ing his incumbency, and at his earnest recommendation, appropriations were 
cut down, the rate of taxation diminished, the number of department employes 
lessened, the expenses of government curtailed in many ways, and the total dis- 
bursements for State purposes reduced by many thousands of dollars below what 
they had been in many years (by careful computation, all other conditions being 
equal, the legitimate amount, from the records, was about $i8o,oooduring his term) , 
and yet no public interest suffered for the want of an expenditure of money. 

It remains to be said that Governor Taylor devoted his undivided attention and 
energies to the public service, attending personally to minute details and the mani- 
fold labors of his office,— he was Governor in fact, not merely in name; and among 
the long roll of Governors, none brought to the discharge of official duties a clearer 
integrity of purpose or more sturdy devotion to the public welfare than W. R. 
Taylor, the " Farmer Governor." 

In private life Governor Taylor has furnished a noble c;xam])lc. Fond of the 
seclusion of home life, he is the happiest when surrounded by his family. He has 
been married twice. In 1842 he wedded Miss Catherine Hurd, by whom he has had 
three daughters, one of whom died at the age of four years. Mrs. Taylor died some 
years ago. July i, 1886, Governor Taylor married Viola Titus, a native of Vermont 
but then living at Madison. They are the parents of one child, William Robert, jr. 

In concluding this biography, a brief history of his election and administration 
is proper. The contest in which his part}' was victorious and the criticism to which 
the election was subjected properly belong to history. It was indeed one of the 
most remarkable victories ever won in the State. On his election the Republican 
press of the State was, with few exceptions, exceedingly fair. It conceded his abil- 
ity and disposition to make his administration an able one. But there were here 
and there, in this regard, exceptions that arose entirely from partisanship or per- 
sonal interest. In the midst of this criticism there was a powerful current of public 
opinion which found expression alike in both Democratic and Republican news- 
papers in able support of the Governor. Colonel C. D. Robinson, former Secretary 
of State, the able editor of the Green Bay Advocate, made the following remark 
upon the election of (Governor Taylor: " No man in the State exceeds him in per- 
sonal independence, in ability to determine his own line of conduct on any question 
and in the sturdy determination to follow according to his own judgment. It has 
been our good fortune to be connected with him in official service for many years — 
that of the management of the State Hospital for Insane, at Madison — and we have 
learned long ago to admire him for these qualities. That hoard consisted of fifteen 
members, a majority of whom were of opposite politics, and wedo knowthatevery one 
will endorse what we say of him. In practical ability, thorough honesty, steadiness of 
character and native independence, Governor Taylor will prove the peer of any 
Governor which W'isconsin has ever had, and that is saying a good deal; for look- 
ing along the list of our chief executives since this State has had a being, it shows a 



766 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



record second at least to no Western State, if indeed in the Union. He loses nothing 
in comparison with Dodge, Dewey, Farwell, Barstow, Bashford, Randall, Harvey, 
Solomon, Lewis, Fairchild or Washburn. Most, if not all, of these are illustrious 
names, remarkable, perhaps, more for their practical executive ability and sterling 
worth than exalted learning and brilliant attainments, and they form a record of 
which any State might be proud. When William R. Taylor's name shall have gone 
into the past with them, it takes an honorable place and second to none in the as- 
sembly." And now that the record has been made, what may we say of the em- 
phatic prediction of Mr. Robinson? Have not all his words been more than ful- 
filled .f* and does not the name of William R. Taylor take an honorable place in the 
impartial history of Wisconsin? These questions may be best answered by the fol- 
lowing editorial from the Milwaukee Daily News: "Parties and men of all opinions 
at Madison agree that Governor Taylor has made one of the best Governors Wis- 
consin ever had. Called to the office in a great crisis in politics, at a time when a 
party, after being in power for more than fifteen years, had retired and a new party 
had taken its place, he was surrounded by obstacles, embarrassments, conflicting in- 
terests and novel situations from which the highest political skill and adroitness 
could hardly extricate him without his falling into some error or mistakes. But 
Governor Taylor, with a readiness, adroitness, adaptability and force hardly to be 
expected of one in his place, and surrounded by circumstances like his, has devel- 
oped an executive of rare capacity, with an understanding of the most intricate pub- 
lic interests, and with grasp and comprehension of all the matters vital to the people, 
which shows a mind of the highest order and practical ability equal to that of the 
most distinguished of his predecessors." 

Such is the life of one of Wisconsin's most illustrious men. His honorable en- 
terprise and unselfish devotion to every public and private duty has wonderfully 
impressed the people of Wisconsin. When his term of office expired he was ac- 
corded an unanimous renomination by acclamation from the convention of his party. 
Through the stupendous efforts of the combined railroad interests, the corporate 
powers of the State acting with the opposite party, he was defeated at the polls by 
a bare plurality of a few hundred votes. During the campaign of 1875, the depres- 
sion consequent upon the memorable panic of 1873, was most keenly felt in all in- 
dustrial centers. From lack of business, hundreds of railway employes were dis- 
charged, and other hundreds were compelled to accept a reduction of wages. The 
unfortunate employes were told that their present discomfiture was due solely to 
the depressing effects of the so-called Granger legislation and the efforts of the 
Taylor administration to enforce the " Potter Law." By such devices and misrep- 
resentations the corporation managers were enabled to compass the Governor's 
defeat; but no one familiar with the history of that time will deny that the strength 
and popularity of his name among the people were the efficient means of electing 
his associates upon the Democratic ticket. The intense bitterness of the opposi- 
tion of the railway managers to his re-election is shown in the declaration of one 
company's president that he would sink the value of his road to insure his defeat. 
The Governor, however, retired from office with manifold assurances of the 
confidence and love o-f the common peojjle, for the establishment of whose 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES) WISCONSIN VOLUME. 767 



rights lie had bravely fought and nohly won. It is meager praise to say, that no 
Wisconsin Governor ever accomplished more for the people than he, and this, too, 
amidst the most adverse circumstances. More enduring than monumental brass or 
marble, his complete vindication can be read in the opinions of every court, State 
or national, that during those eventful years passed upon the question of the peo- 
ple's right to control the corporations they had created. 



HON. WILLIAM F. VILAS, 



AN ENUMERATION of those, men of the present generation who have won 
honor and public recognition for themselves and at the same lime have hon- 
ored the State to which they belong, would be incomplete without prominent refer- 
ence to the one whose name is given above. In the field, at the bar, in the halls of 
legislation, on the rostrum and in the councils of state. Senator Vilas has been for 
j'ears a force, and a force in the right direction. Making no claim to be greater 
than others, he has proved the right of leadership and has tried to make his party 
and his politics but avenues through which he might work for the country's good. 
William Freeman Vilas was born in Chelsea, Orange county, Vermont, July 
9, 1840. He was a lad of about eleven when his father. Judge L. B. Vilas, came West 
with his family to make his home at Madison. The subject of this sketch early 
entered the University of Wisconsin, where he graduated with the highest honors of 
his class, in 1858, at the age of eighteen. His collegiate career gave promise of that 
brilliant future which his mature years have realized, and his instructors and com- 
panions at that time did not fail to recognize in the zealous, earnest and industrious 
young student the qualities which have since contributed to his success. The year 
after graduation he w^ent to the Albany law school, where for a year — the full dura- 
tion then of the law course — he diligently and intelligently pursued the studies of 
the profession he had chosen. He took his diploma at that institution in i860, and 
returned to Madison, where he entered upon the practice of law as a partner of 
Charles T. Wakeley, to whom was joined later his brother, Hon. Eleazer Wakeley, 
a lawyer of high ability, formerly United States Territorial Judge and afterward 
Judge of the United States District Court in Nebraska. Under such favorable aus- 
pices, thoroughly trained and equipped for the struggle, and imbued with an ardent 
love for his profession, the young lawyer's progress was rapid and satisfactory. In 
his twentieth year he argued his first case in the Supreme Court of the .State. He 
speedily established himself in the esteem of his brethren on the bench and at the 
bar, and readily gained the confidence and good wnll of clients. He had, however, 
just entered upon his career when the civil war broke out, and it must certainly 
have cost him a struggle to abandon his profession and the alluring prospects 
of success which a just ambition held out to him. Xo unworthier sentiment could 
have caused him to hesitate, nor could ihal long control his conduct. He had 
served in the old ( .overnor's (iuard. had been a Captain of a Zouave company, and 



768 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

when the real need came in 1862, when the raisnig of needed regiments began to be 
an uphill business, he started to raise a company for the Twenty-third Regiment. 
In a war meeting, held in the State capitol, he made a speech full of pacriotic fire 
and that magnetic eloquence for which he has since become famous. He appealed 
to the young men to go with him. With clear reason he disclosed the wrong of 
secession, its wickedness, its inexcusableness, and the duty of all, irrespective of pol- 
itics or party aFfiliations, to unite in suppressing armed rebellion by armed force. 
His speech electrified all, and in a few days he filled his company, had it accepted 
and was mustered in as the senior Captain. But lest any jealousy should be engen- 
dered he offered to waive his seniority, but his brother officers, captured by the 
generous and manly spirit of the young Captain, insisted that he should keep his 
seniority, which he had fairly earned by reporting his company first full in comple- 
ment of men. Entering the service he was soon promoted as Major and then to 
the Lieutenant Colonelcy, and during a considerable part of the service, in the ab- 
sence of his highly esteemed Colonel, Guppy, he was in command of the regiment. 
He served under General Grant in the Army of the Tennessee and in the brilliant 
campaign that ended in the siege and fall of Vicksburg he led the regiment in sev- 
eral battles and skirmishes, and in rapid marches and movements that enabled Grant 
to work out the superb strategy of that campaign. When the Vicksburg campaign 
had ended, his regiment was sent to New Orleans, and the Confederacy was over- 
thrown in that quarter. Colonel Vilas, seeing only a prospect for a long period of 
inaction, resigned and came home, as his father, who had become involved in heavy 
and threatening litigation, desired his assistance in defending it. 

Resuming practice, he was soon in the front rank of his profession in the State. 
Unlike many who returned from stirring scenes of camp and field to the duties of 
civil life, he seemed to begin where he left off when he entered the army, and, in 
the same line of progressive development, he pressed zealously forward in his pro- 
fessional career. Whatever he had to do he did thoroughly and well, relying not 
merely nor mainly upon his undoubted talents, but never failing in diligent, intelli- 
gent and systematic preparation. While very young it was retained to defend dif- 
ficult murder cases, and never failed to clear his client. 

He early formed habits of industry, without which all professional success must 
be illusive and disappointing. He never made the mistake that many do who have 
the gift of eloquence. He never went into the trial unprepared. He knew all 
about his case, all about the law in it; he knew where it was weak and to be guarded 
and where was the true point of attack of his adversary. 

He was married in i865, and soon after established his beautiful home amid a 
grove of oaks a short distance from the city, where he could enjoy his evenings in 
the seclusion of his library, undisturbed by anxious clients or the numerous distrac- 
tions of town life. There, for twelve years, he habitually devoted his evenings un- 
til a late hour of the night to study and reading, — mainly in the line of his profes- 
sion. Yet, notwithstanding the engrossing character of his professional studies, he 
found time to wander into the domain of general literature, history, politics, science, 
poetry, belles-lettres and the higher class of fiction, and in such fields to accom- 
plish what would be for an ordinary man an immense amount of labor. 



RKl'KF.SKNTATni-: MEN OK rilK UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 76Q 

Such was the result of the excellent use made by him of all his opportunities, 
his natural u^ifts, his couraj^e and aptitude for legal controversy and his sound busi- 
ness sense and quick perceptions, that it is not too much to say that at the age of thirty 
he was the peer of any member of the then brilliant bar at the capital of the State. 
This early success neither tempted him to forego his efforts for further triumphs nor 
filled the measure of his ambition. He rather redoubled his exertions, nor did he 
thus seem to tax, but rather to call forth his power. In every line of professional 
labor, — in the oftice, at the pleader's desk, in the yz/.w/yvV/.s- courtroom, before the 
courts of last resort in equity, in law or in bankruptcy matters, he was instant, zeal- 
ous, bold, untiring and generally successful. In his arguments in court he has al- 
ways been more intent on impressing the jury with his views of the case than with 
liis ability as a talker, and in consequence has seldom failed to convince them. His 
clientage, which was considerable at an early period of his professional career, con- 
stantly increased, until he had such a flood of important business, and such constant 
demands upon his time and attention, as commonly attended only upon the most 
successful practitioners in our great commercial cities. 

In 1875 Colonel Vilas, associated with Judge David Taylor and 1 Ion. |. P. C. 
Cottrill, was appointed by the Supreme Court of the State upon a commission to re- 
vise the statutes of Wisconsin. With painstaking assiduity and protracted labor, 
they rearranged, rewrote, condensed, classified and codified the whole body of gen- 
eral statute laws. The work was admirably done and accepted by the Legislature 
in 1878, and no revision has since been needed. 

Politically Colonel Vilas has always been a steadfast Democrat and has ever 
stood by the banners of his party, aiding with a liberal hand, wise counsel and brave 
words of hope and cheer, even during the days of gloom when the prospects of the 
party were shrouded in darkness. No consideration of self ever moved him. IJn- 
shakably loyal to the underlying principles, regarding with profound distrust the 
tendencies — too manifest to him — which have led the Republican party farther and 
farther away from democratic principles, no less than from the early Republican 
ground, he has grown more profoundly a Democrat, as observation and reflection 
taught him that this people must return to the principles and methods of democracy 
or soon give up their popular liberty. 

He attended the national conventions of his party as a delegate in 1876, 1880, 
1884 and 1892. He was on the stump, speaking for the cause in Wisconsin and 
other States. Possessed of oratorical ability second to none, he was a powerful 
factor in the political campaigns, and with a degree of earnestness that carried con- 
viction, he pleaded the cause of Democracy and soon became the acknowledged 
leader of his party in the State. He did not seek political advancement. His de- 
votion to his profession, as well as his own tastes and inclinations, prevented him 
from participating in a personal struggle for office, and in 187c) and in 188^ he re- 
fused to accept the Democratic nomination for Governor of the State. Although 
he desired to keep out of public life, he rendered much public service, however, — 
once as Trustee of the Soldiers' Orphans' Home, when that institution was in exist- 
ence, and for a considerable pe.-iod as Regent of the State University, of which in- 
stitution he has always been a firm friend. \\ hile acting as one of the Board of 



770 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Regents, an action was brought by a student to test the question whether the charge 
of a few dollars per year as incidental fees could be made under the statutory pro- 
visions that tuition shall be free. The question involved was one of vital impor- 
tance to the university, then struggling along with scant income. The regents em- 
ployed Colonel Vilas for the defense. He fought it out, and as a lawyer he might 
have charged a large fee, but he declined to render a bill, taking the ground that 
he as a regent could not with propriety make a charge for services, though rendered 
professionally as a lawyer. He won the case, thus augmenting permanently the 
revenues of the institution some ten to twenty thousand dollars per annum. In 
1885 he was a member of the Legislature, and while acting in that capacity was the 
potent force that persuaded that body to pass the largest appropriation bill in aid 
of the State University that had ever up to that time been passed. 

Although Colonel Vilas repeatedly refused high political honors, he, neverthe- 
less, became more and more conspicuous in national politics. His great natural 
ability, ripe knowledge, oratorical powers and great personal popularity with the 
people of his State made his name a power that exerted its influence throughout 
the land, and when President Cleveland, on the 5th day of March, 1885, announced 
the names of those whom he had selected to serve as his assistants and advisors in 
the discharge of his duties, he not only conferred a high honor upon Wisconsin and 
the entire West, but tendered a fitting testimonial to the worth of one who for years 
had fought the battles of Democracy without thought of self or of personal ambi- 
tion, by appointing Colonel Vilas Postmaster General. At that time he was a mem- 
ber of the Legislature and the session was more than half served out. He asked 
for an apportionment of salary, so that he could refund enough of the salarj' already 
drawn to leave his due part to the member elected to succeed him. The Assembly 
appropriated the full five hundred dollars to his successor, and took the ground 
that Colonel Vilas was entitled to all the money he had drawn. But he could not 
agree to this action, and returned the salary into the State treasury, preferring to 
forego all that he had earned rather than retain a smaller part which he deemed 
unearned. At the head of the Postoffice Department of the Government, Colonel 
Vilas gave personal attention to every feature of the business of his department. 
His practical mind soon devised means for bettering the service, and the methods 
he designed and introduced are now followed in every one of the si.xtj^ thousand 
postoffices now serving the people. Though the Senate was Republican during his 
service at the head of the Postoffice Department, and eager to oppose the adminis- 
tration, and fiercely criticised it for the storage of political capital, they invariably 
adopted Colonel Vilas' recommendations and freely gave every dollar that he asked 
ur the service. On one occasion the postoffice committees of both houses adopted 
his estimate to a cent, for every one of the items in the appropriation for the 
postal service, aggregating about fifty-seven millions, explaining in their report that 
this unusual course was taken only after the most searching examination, and the 
bill passed Congress. It was common remark among Republican members and sen- 
ators that the service was never more efficient nor the department more ably con- 
ducted. His war against the subsidists in the first weeks of his administration was 
conducted with admirable skill. In the last hours of the Congress that died the day 



RKI'RKSKNIATIXK MEN OF TIIK UNITKD STATES; WISCONSIN VOI.l'ME. 77I 

that Cleveland was sworn in, a $400,000 subsidy to ocean steamers had been passed 
in the postoiifice appropriation bill. The intended beneficiaries of the act came to 
the new Postmaster General for their subsidy. He showed to them that the law- 
was so imperfect in its terms that he could not execute it. They carried the war 
into the press, hired hundreds of journals to publish abusive articles and tried in 
that way to break him down. The war was carried into Conijress. There Post- 
master General X'ilas made such a clear and convincing case that, though the Re- 
publicans made it a party question, he carried the day, — some thirty or forty Repub- 
licans voting against the subsidies. But for all that, he gave the best ocean mail 
service the country ever had; and so manifest was all this that the leading business 
men of all the larger cities united in a letter of thanks addressed to him, and re- 
quested him to use his good offices with foreign postal administrations to adopt the 
same means by which he had secured such general dispatch and extended facilities. 

When he mastered this vast department, that reaches into every nook and neigh- 
borhood of our vast domain, affecting by its efficiency or inefficiency every business 
and every home, the President called him to another field. The Interior Depart- 
ment is one that represents a field of multitudinous details and demands at its head 
a man of broad mentality, discernment and a capacity for handling not only affairs 
of great importance, but, as already intimated, embracing extreme minutiae, and to 
this exacting post Colonel Vilas was called, and that he came fully enforced for 
gaining the master}^ of the onerous duties thereby devolving, need not be said in 
this connection. Among other things this incumbency demanded the investigation 
of hundreds of Indian treaties, accounting with several hundred bands and tribes, 
the carrying out of a policy of humane care to lift up the Indian in civilization and 
save him from that extermination from which he can escape only by being raised 
from his savage state. Colonel V^ilas grasped these with a capacity for mental labor 
such as few men possess, — he patiently considered everything. His decision in land 
cases, prepared when thousands of matters demanded his attention, are now 
quoted from the bench as soundest expositions of land laws, applied in doubtful 
cases. His rulings corrected much that was loose and laggard in the land office, 
brushed away much that was merely technical, aimed to do speedy and exact justice 
to settlers and to settle on a basis of equity and fairness many questions long de- 
layed, which involved the hopes and homes of thousands of poor people on the 
frontier. The judicial work of the department was two years behind when he took 
hold, but when he laid down his portfolio in 1889, the large arrearage of unfinished 
business was well nigh closed. With a few more months of service it would have 
been brought up to date. His report as Secretary of the Interior Department was 
a com])endium, It exhibited perfect knowledge and familiarity with the great con- 
glomeration of bureaus and their bewildering dependencies, and of the laws and 
policies guiding, as essential to wise guidance of them all. President Cleveland in 
his message of that year speaks of it is, "an able and interesting report." 

With the retirement of President Cleveland, Secretary Vilas laid down the 
onerous load of official care. Lamenting the defeat of his party and of his noble 
chief, whom he honored and loved and whose wisdom and perfect purity of pur- 



772 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

pose he profoundly esteemed, Colonel Villas joyfully returned to the home he loved 
so well and to the freedom of private life. 

The contest of 1890 forced him again into the political field. The aggression 
of protected monopolies, encouraged by their success in 1888; the wanton action of 
Congress in their looting of the treasury, their piling on new burdens of tariff taxes, 
their discarding all conservative restraints on hasty or vicious or partisan legislation, 
made it the duty of Democrats to take the field. In this State another issue was 
also thrust into the canvass, — the Bennett law exciting great feeling. Colonel Vilas 
gave the subject careful attention. He saw in the law a mischievous departure 
from democratic principles. The law needlessly and unwarrantably trenched on 
the most sacred grounds of personal liberty, — it thrust the rude hand of official 
authority into the home circle. It gave affront to the feelings strongest and most 
sensitive in the human race, — the feelings of paternal affection and religious obliga- 
tion. It wounded the pride of race and the love of mother tongue. And all this 
without necessity and by a law as clumsy and inapt in structure as it was vicious in 
principle. Colonel Vilas traversed the State, speaking nightly to crowded audi- 
ences, denouncing the McKinley tariff and the Bennett law, illustrating the badness 
of each. The arrows of the enemy were quite generally aimed at him, but with the 
same intrepid ardor with which he led his regiment in battle, he bravely led the 
Wisconsin Democracy against its political foes, and, when the smoke of battle had 
cleared, the enemy was routed and a glorious victory achieved. 

This political victory assured a Democratic majority in the Legislature, and the 
election of a Democrat to succeed Senator Spooner in the United States Senate. 
The vital question in national affairs was tariff reform. Colonel Vilas had always 
been a tariff reformer and had repeatedly condemned the false and vicious system 
of protection. In many Democratic platforms written or reported by him in the 
State conventions he gave forcible condemnation to the Republican system of tariff 
extortion. During many years he chafed impatiently while the leagued protection- 
ists, in full control of the Republican leaders, also managed to hold in leash some 
of the Democratic chieftains and by deft management to stay all party assault upon 
the tariff law. Colonel Vilas saw those laws in all their iniquity. He studied them 
and discovered how skillfully they were framed and craftily maintained, with the 
one object of enriching a comparatively few interests by the enormous taxation of 
the toiling millions. In 1883, when Democracy was nearly inert on the great ques- 
tion, Colonel Vilas, in a short speech before the Iroquois Club at Chicago, threw 
down the gage of battle in well-taken premises, from which he deduced a logical 
summing up which clearly defined the position which his party must assume on this 
great issue. 

After viewing his entire career, — as a citizen, as a soldier, as a statesman and 
as tariff-reform Democrat, — it certainly would have been surprising if the Demo- 
crats of Wisconsin, through their representatives in the Legislature, had selected 
any other man to guard their interests in the most important legislative body on 
the globe. As a Senator, Colonel Vilas has displayed the same degree of ability 
that has characterized his entire career, and he has become one of the leaders of 
the leaders. 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 773 



It is not mere partisan praise, nor adulation, nor overestimate to say that 
Colonel Vilas is at the present time one of the best equipped men of his genera- 
tion for participation in the deliberations and actions of the United States Senate. 
He is a sound, clear-minded, well-trained jurist. The limitations which are im- 
posed by the constitution on federal powers are well understood by him. With the 
long line of decisions, from Marshall dcnvn, by which the; constitution has been ex- 
pounded, he is familiar, as are all high-bred lawyers. He is at home in all the de- 
tails of the law from the minutest points in practice to the greater topics wherein 
are involved a consideration of the ethics and philosophy of jurisprudence and the 
highest concerns of public policy. But he is not learned in the law alone. He is 
deeply reaci in history, has studied long and carefully the subjects that to the states- 
man are of deep interest, the questions of finance, political economy, sociology, and 
has kept abreast with the best thinking men of the age. 

This groundwork of statesmanship is adorned with a gift of oratory, carefully 
improved by cultivation, such as is given to but few. As a public speaker, an ad- 
vocate, winning, persuasive, clear, logical and at the same time "magnetic," his fame 
is national. With a voice of wonderful range and compass, capable of filling the 
largest auditorium, no man can hold larger audiences in more submissive attention 
than he. Rich in thought, with lofty diction, he is copious in language, felicitous 
and clear in argument, vigorous always, thoroughly in earnest, full of the ardor of 
conviction, never abusive of adversaries, full of high-toned courtesy, yet a foe to be 
feared, whether in legal argument or the less conventional debate on the stump. 
His fame as an orator was national when his party in State and nation were in a 
minority so hopeless and discouraging as to bar against its able men almost every 
avenue to public attention. 

Long before Colonel Vilas had accepted any political honors, his fame as an 
orator had become national. In 1878 he was invited by his comrades of the Army 
of the Tennessee to deliver the annual address at their reunion in Indianapolis. 
That speech was one of singular power and beauty, and fired with a genuine 
patriotism. No sweeter, more touching tribute was ever paid to the gallant soldier 
of the Union. His theme was, "The American Soldier." His closing words few 
veterans can read with unmoistened eyes: "The dearest wish to the heart of the 
old soldier of America is, that when, his life work done, he turns his last look upon 
the scenes of the earth, he may close his eyes upon the country he has saved, stand- 
ing secure from every danger, the dispenser to men of all the blessings governments 
can bestow. I picture him sometimes, when his age shall have settled upon him, 
and the labor and toil of manhood shall have passed, as he waits for the summons 
to go where his comrades have gone before. I see him sit on the western porch of 
his children's cottage home, where the well-kept vines have clambered on the lat- 
tice, while the sunny afternoon sinks away. He holds upon his knee the sweet 
granddaughter who is nearest to his heart. Translating to the simple speech of 
childhood, he tells her tales of younger days, when he was a soldier for his coun- 
try. How sweetly she listens with wondering eyes! How proudly she thinks of the 
great action in which her grandsire had a part! How tender the joy of that old 
man's love for the beginner of life! Bye-and-bye the soft warmth of the summer's 



774 HIOGRAI'IIICAI. DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THF 

day inclines liim to sleep, and his old frame, once so strong, is now easily wearied. 
Continued talking has tired his senses, and his head drops back upon his easy chair. 
She pillows her face upon his breast, and together they rest in gentle slumber — 
emblem of peace reposing in the arms of its savior and defender! Lo! from the 
evening sun a ray breaks through between the trees, and falls upon his whitened 
locks with a touch of light and glory. It is the benediction of heaven on the old 
soldier of liberty! May it rest on them all forever!" 

Among his finest efforts of oratory, and one that most widely extended his 
fame as an orator, was his response to the toast, "Our First Commander, General 
U. S. Grant," which he delivered at the banquet of the Society of the Army of the 
Tennessee, in Chicago, in 1879. It was delivered before one of the most dis- 
tinguished assemblies of military and civic great men, on the occasion of the wel- 
come of General Grant after his return from his famous journey around the world. 
To this, the crowning toast of the occasion, the society's welcome to its commander, 
Colonel Vilas had been selected to respond. Among a galaxy of orators, and a 
feast of eloquence such as is rarely heard on one occasion. Colonel Vilas' speech, in 
manner, matter and perfect fitness to the great occasion, stirred up the veterans of 
war and the veterans of oratory to a pitch of enthusiasm almost indescribable. It 
was the theme of editorial praise at the time by all the leading newspapers of the 
country. It is said that in public libraries books containing that speech bear marks 
of much use, showing how widely read it is. The speech is here given entire: 

THE WELCOME TO GRANT. 

''Mr. PresJdettt; Companions of the Army of the Tennessee: Your call invites me, 
sir, I am conscious, to give expression to the profound feeling with which every 
heart of our assembled companions responds to the stirring sentiment. But how 
shall I attempt to choose, in the brief compass the occasion allows, from the multi- 
tudinous thoughts that crowd the mind? Our first commander, the illustrious gen- 
eral whose fame has grown to fill the world! Nay, more! Our old band of the 
Tennessee was his first army! What honorable memories of old association, you, 
companions, may now recall! How splendid was your entrance on the scene of 
arms! The anxious eye of the North had long been fixed on the Eastern theater, 
almost unconscious of the new-formed Army of the Tennessee and its unknown 
general. Suddenly there fell on the startled ear the roar of your fight at Donel- 
son and your chieftain's victorious cry, — which waked the country's heart to ecstasy, 
and rung, like a prophetic knell, the doom our army of salvation bore to rebels, — 
'Nothing but unconditional surrender.' 

"Then, but a fevif days later there burst at Shiloh on his Army of the Tennes- 
see the flame and fury of the first great field fight of the war. In desperate doubt 
the nightfall of the bloody day closed on the unequal struggle. Higher, then, rose 
the iron resolution of that great commander! Urged by cautious counsel to pre- 
pare the way for retreat, with trust in your valor, he gave the characteristic answer: 
' I have not despaired of whipping them yet.' And loyally, on the morrow was he 
vindicated in that reliance, as he rode before his soldiery, driving the enemy over 
the victorious field. 

"How darkly comes back in recollection the long and dismal toil in the pesti- 
lential swamps before impregnable Vicksburg! The sky was overhung in gloom 
and the soaked earth sunk under the foot. Unlit by the flash of powder, un- 
heralded by the noise of ~arms, in miserable darkness, the last enemy irresistibly 



REI'RiLSIiNIAI 1\E MKN OK IIIK rMTKI) STATKS: WISCONSIN VOI.l'MK. 775 



plied his fatal work, changing the river levees — where only was solid ground for 
burial — into tombs for our trebly-decimated ranks. Then, again, new light broke 
from his troubled genius on the scene, and displayed the possible path for valor. 
Breaking past the rebel battlements, and across the great river, he flung our army 
into the midst of the hostile host, like a mighty gladiator surrounded by his foes, 
choosing no escape but through victory. There with fiery zest in fierce rapidity he 
smote the foe the crushing strokes of Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion 
Hills, and Black River, and seized the doomed city with the unrelenting grasp of 
his Army of the Tennessee. And when, on the new birthday of the rei^ublic, her 
flag shook out its beautiful folds above the ramparts of that boasted citadel, the 
territory of revolt was finally sjjlit in twain, the backbone of the rebellion was 
broken. 

"Such, in a glance, your splendid story, companions, under our first commander! 

"He and his Army of the Tennessee entered on the page of history together. 
Together they achieved the first, great prophetic triumphs for the Union; together 
they followed and fought her enemies from field to field, pushing our advancing 
arms in steady career toward the gulf. Nor were their efforts for our country dis- 
united, until having dismembered the vast rebellion, the beginning of its utter 
downfall had been seen. 

"Guided by his genius, your army had learned to fight only to conquer. Parted 
from him, it forgot not the teaching. Its march and war struck every revolted 
State save two, but never general lamented anywhere over its retreat from the field 
of arms, joyfully may we point to that e.xalted fame, which, rising like a pinnacle 
of the Alps, breaks through the firmament above to carry up the name of the un- 
conquered Grant; for it is our felicity, that on the solid base from which it lifts, 
history has written the proud legend of the Army of the Tennessee, which never 
shunned, and never lost a battle with its foes. 

"Joined to it by such a story, and especially when so assembled, his old soldiers 
and associates in war, we may rightfully, without censure and without adulation, 
claim and speak the just measure of his merit and renown. Nor shall his presence 
deny that satisfaction to us. His reputation is not his, not even his country's alone; 
it is in part our peculiar possession. We who fought to aid its rising may well re- 
joice in its meridian splendor. 

"The foundations of his title are deep-laid and safe. There was reaction in 
the minds of our peoj^le after the intense strain of war, and many distracting sub- 
jects for attention. But with regainetl composure and reflection, his reputation 
augments, and its foundations more and more plainly appear irremovably fixed for 
lasting duration. They spring not from merely having enjoyed possession of the 
honors of place and power, which his countrymen have bestowed; others have had 
them too. They lie not specially in his shining courage and personal conduct be- 
fore the enemy, who was never outdone in calm intrepidity; nor in the splendid 
daring with which he ever urged the battle he immediately ordered, though long 
these will live in song and story. Beyond the warrior's distinction,- -which was his 
earlier glory, -his is the true genius of the general. The strategic learning of the 
military art was to him a simple implement, like colors and l)rush to a Raphael, not 
fetters to the mind! How like a weaiwn in a giant's hand did he wield the vast 
aggregations of soldiery whose immensity oppresses so many minds! How easily 
moved his divisions, yet how firm the place of all! How every soldier came to feel 
his participation a direct contribution to the general success! And when at length 
his merit won the government of the entire military power of the North, how per- 
fect became, without noise or friction, the co-operation of every army, of every 
strength, throughout the wide territory of war, toward the common end! Subordi- 
nate every will and jealous soul, the profound military wisdom of the capital even, 



BIOC.RAI'IllCAI, UK IIONARV AND I'OK'IRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



to the clear purpose and comprehensive grasp of the one commanding mind. Then 
how rapidly crumbled on every side the crushed revolt! Where shall we find in 
past records the tale of such a struggle, so enormous in extent, so nearly matched 
at the outset, so desperately contested, so effectively decided? 1 hrough what a 
course of uninterrupted victory did he proceed from the earliest engagements to 
complete dominion of the vast catastrophe! 

" Nor should it be forgotten, he fought no barbarians, ill equipped, undisciplined, 
not commanded by educated skill; but against soldiers of the highest spirit, armed 
with the best weapons, standing on their own familiar ground, and led by veteran 
generals of well-trained science, one of whom, at least, was never outmatched on 
his chosen field before. 

"Spare, in pity, the poor brain that cannot see, in this career, more than a 
dogged ijertinacity! Out upon the unjust prejudice which will consciously dispar- 
age the true meed of genius! Leave it where his reliant silence leaves it! Leave 
it to history! Leave it to the world! 

" But in the great cause, so well understood, and the great results to men, so 
well accomplished, the basis of his renown is justly broadened. For the salvation 
of this government of freedom for mankind we took up arms. When liberty was 
safe, they were laid again down. Risen to the highest seat of power, he has de- 
scended as a citizen of equal rank with all. This goes to the soul of American lib- 
erty, ennobling individual citizenship above all servants in office. His is, indeed, 
the noblest grandeur of manhood, who can rise from the grasp of overtopping 
power above the ambition of self, to e.xalt the ambition of humanity, denying the 
spoils of the brief time to the lasting guerdon of immortal honor. The judgment 
of immediate contemporaries has been apt to rise too high or fall too low. But let 
not detraction or calumny mislead. They have ever been the temporal accompani- 
ments of human greatness. That glory cannot rise above the clouds which passes 
not through the clouds. We may confidently accept the judgment of the world. It 
has been unmistakably delivered. But lately, as he pressed his wandering course 
about the round earth, mankind have everywhere bowed in homage at his coming 
as the ancient devotees of the East fell before the sun at its rising. These honors 
were not paid to his person, which was unknown; they were not paid to his country, 
for which he went on no errand, and whose representative never had the like be- 
fore; they were not paid to him as to some potentate of a people, for he journeyed 
not as a man in power. They have been the willing prostration of mortality before 
a glory imperishable. 

" His memory shall, indeed, be in the line of the heroes of war, but distinctive 
and apart from the greater number. Not with the kind of Alexander, who ravaged 
the earth to add to mere dominion; not of Belisarius, who but fed the greedy 
craving of an imperial beast of prey; not with Marlborough, Eugene, Wellington, 
who played the parts set them by the craft of diplomacy; not with the Napoleons, 
who chose 'to wade through slaughter to a throne, and shut the gates of mercy on 
mankind;' not with Caesar, who would put the ambitious hand of arms on the deli- 
cate fabric of constitutional freedom; America holds a higher place in the congre- 
gation of glory for her heroes of liberty, where sits, in expectation, her majestic 
Washington. In nobler ambition than the gaining of empire, they have borne their 
puissant arms for the kingdom of man, where liberty reigneth forever. F"rom the 
blood poured out in their warfare sweet incense rose to heaven, and angels soothed, 
with honorable pride, the tears which sorrow started for the dead. 

" Home again now, our first commander, after the journey of the world! Here, 
here again we greet him at our social board, where with recurring years we regale 
on the deeper, ripening mernories of our soldiership for freedom. Partakers of the 
labors, the perils, the triumphs which were the beginnings of his glory, we join now. 




fe , h'^^in-^.x^r^ 



RKl'RKSKNTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 779 

with exultation, in the welconiintr honors h\' which his orratcful countrymen tell 
their foreknowledjrc of the immortality of his renown. 

"Loni^ and many be the years, illustrious leader, before your hour of departure 
come! Green and vigorous be your a'^e, undecayed every faculty of mind and 
sense, in full fruition of the well-earned joys of life, happy in the welfare of your 
native land, the love of your countrymen, the admiration of the world!" 

For days afterward the press of the country was filled with praise of this effort. 
A sample is here quoted from the Chicago Tribune, a day or two after the banquet: 

"It is probably no disparagement to the other eloquent gentlemen who ad- 
dressed the brilliant assemblage at the Palmer House banquet Thursday evening, 
to say that the speech of Colonel William F. Vilas, of Wisconsin, far surpassed all 
others that were delivered on that interesting occasion. Colonel Vilas was a stran- 
ger to a large majority of those present, and when he arose to perform the delicate 
and difficult duty that had been assigned to him by the committee, the whispered 
inquiry ran around the banqueting-hall: 'Who is Colonel Vilas?' and the only an- 
swer returned was that he was the young man who had refused the Democratic 
nomination for Governor of Wisconsin. But the appreciative audience knew him 
better before he had concluded his polished and brilliant oration. His elocution 
was faultless; his intonation was musical and correct; his effort was admirably sus- 
tained from first to last, and the climax was such as makes the flesh creep and the 
eyes fill with tears. The toast to which he was required to respond was, 'Our I*irst 
Commander, General U. .S. Grant,' and of course it necessarily involved the delivery 
of an eulogy upon a world-renowned patriot who was present to listen to it, and the 
task was superlatively trying and delicate of successful and happy performance. 
That it was accomplished in a splendid and masterly manner was the spontaneous 
and unanimous testimony of the most illustrious company ever congregated under 
one roof in Chicago, composed of ex-presidents, senators, ex-cabinet officers, gen- 
erals, orators, statesmen, governors, and men eminent and famous in every pursuit 
of life. It was such a congregation as Cicero never addressed; so learned, so criti- 
cal, so sensitive, so in love with all the graces of scholarship, and so quick to detect 
and despise shams, — many of them among the foremost men of the century, with the 
nation's idol to listen to his own praise; this was the crucial test applied to the effort 
of Colonel Villas, and he perf(3rmed it with such matchless grace, power and con- 
summate skill that the vast audience broke into boisterous and long-continued ap- 
plause and cheering, w'hich was prolonged into a perfect ovation when the eloquent 
young orator arose to acknowledge the compliment. Wendell Phillips, at his best 
estate, never achieved a more signal triumph tipon the platform, never performed 
an allotted task with greater tenderness, pathos and poetic embellishment, and 
never received a more heartlelt and well-deserved acknowledgment. " 



WILLIAM E. CRAMER, 

MILWAURKK. 

WILLIAM EDWARD CRAMFR is descended from one of those families of 
Friesian descent which were among the first pioneers of New York. His 
father was John Cramer, of Waterford, Saratoga county. New York, who was a 
Presidential Elector in 1804, — casting his vote for Jefferson- and Clinton, — and who 
was a representative in Congress from iS^:^ to 18,^7. 



780 BIOGRAl'HICAl. DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLP:RV OK THK 



William E. Cramer was born in Waterford, OctobtT 2g, 1817. There he re- 
sided until his twenty-sixth year, studying under the noted Prof. Tayler Lewis, and 
graduating at Union College in 1838. He read law and was admitted to the bar, 
but his tastes led him to prefer journalism as a vocation, and from 1S43 to 1846 he 
was one of the editorial writers of the Albany Ar^us, which was then managed by 
Edwin Croswell. and which was the chief organ of the Democracy in the State. 
Among the daily associates of the young journalist were John Van Buren, Silas 
Wright, John A. Dix, Governor Marcy, Horatio Seymour, Samuel J. Tilden, ex- 
President \'an Buren and other men who made the Democrat party at that time 
the exponent of great principles which have become embodied in the fibre of the 
great republic. 

Mr. Cramer came to Milwaukee in May, 1847, at the request of a number of 
prominent Democrats who thought their party needed able journalistic support. In 
partnership with Joseph Curtis, a Rochester newspaper man, Mr. Cramer purchased, 
for $2,000, the Milwaukee Courier, a weekly; and, changing its name to the Daily 
Wisconsin, soon made it one of the leading newspapers of the Northwest, — a position 
it has now held for almost half a century, during the whole of which time he has 
been its active head. V'ery few issues have gone to press without one or more ar- 
ticles from his pen. No one who reads his graphic descriptions of places, people 
and things, and who are unacquainted with the author, would suppose that they 
are the work of one bereft of the senses of sight and hearing; yet from i860 Mr. 
Cramer has been nearly blind, and able to hear only with the aid of a speaking 
tube. But his intense energy and industry, quick perception, and marvelous powers 
of memory and judgment have practically enabled him to overcome his physical 
disadvantage. 

In i86c) Mr. Cramer married Miss Harriet L. Barker, and after his marriage 
made an extensive tour of Europe in company with his wife. They were in Paris 
during the Franco-German war, and were locked up in the besieged city for sev- 
eral months, until liberated, with other American residents, through the good 
offices of United States Minister Washburn and Chancellor Bismark. They were 
also in Paris during the whole reign of the Commune, from March until July, and 
there witnessed the demolition of the Column V'endome, the burning of the palace 
of the Tuilleries and the execution of the incendiaries who had fired the public 
buildings and who were shot on the barricades which they themselves had erected 
across the Rue de Rivoli. Mr. Cramer's recollections of these and other events 
causes him to feel that he witnessed in Paris, in 1871, a re-enactment of the bloody 
scenes of the first revolution, when Robespierre and Danton wielded the vengeance 
of the government against the peace and good order of society. 

Mr. Cramer has also traveled extensively in the United States and Mexico, 
usually in company with his wife, who is eyes and ears for him whenever he re- 
quires assistance. Partly to her faithful and loving service in this direction, and 
partly to his marvelous skill in questioning people into whose company he is thrown, 
is due his reputation of being able to find out more, on short acquaintances, con- 
cerning an>' i)lace or man or e\ent, than can be gatheretl by most people who are 



RKPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 781 

in possession of all of tlu-ir senses. In 1SS4 he revisited luirope in a tour ihrcKitrh 
Ireland, England, Holland, Denmark, .Norway. .Sweden, iMnland, Russia, I'oland, 
Austria, Baden and France. 

Thouiih in his seventy-eiirhth year Mr. Cramer still writes for the paper every 
day, and his interest and influence extend to every detail of the j^reat journal's 
management. From the youngest reporter to the managing editor, all his employes 
feel that their work is the object of his immediate observation, and all have the 
benefit of his experienced suggestions. His work in his special department is 
notable for consistency, lucidity, accuracy and force. It has been the main object 
of his life to build up in Milwaukee a newspaper and a printing office which would 
reflect credit upon the commonwealth of his adoption. After severe trials and long 
delays there was reared, on the corner of Milwaukee and Michigan streets, a struc- 
ture which has become in all its departments, one of the completest and most per- 
fect printing establishmants in the land. Having no children, Mr. Cramer has a 
special pride in and love for his work. With the assistance of his two partners, 
Andrew J. Aikens, and John F. Cramer, in that structure has been organized one 
of the completest institutions and printing departments in the whole country, and 
it is his ambition and his hope to do his daily work in that office until he is called 
hence by the summons of the Higher Power, which no man can resist. 

In the conduct of his journal Mr. Cramer has been utterly incorruptible. 
Under his direction the Evening Wisconsin has not been the organ of any party or 
man, but has followed the lines he conceived to be for the best interests of the 
people among whom he has lived. He has not always chosen the winning or pop- 
ular side, but has fearlessly pursued what he believed to be right. Thus, while his 
journal has never been an organ, it has been read in more Wisconsin homes than 
any single publication in the last twenty-five years. It has been his just boast that 
in the forty-eight years of his editorial work not a single line has been paid for in 
money, or inserted in the hope of pecuniary or other reward. 

Mr. Cramer is peculiarly an observer, and until the failure of his sight few 
travelers saw as much both of the useful and artistic works of man. In his per- 
sonal life his habits are simple. He has always had a kind word and a helping 
hand for the poor and dependent, but the rich he uniformly leaves to take care of 
themselves. Careful and prudent in small things, when occasion comes to meet 
his approval he is more than generous, — he is prodigal. He is of a religious cast of 
mind, an unquestionable believer in the evangelical religion of his mother, and a 
daily reader of the gospels. He never discusses the abstractions of later science. 
The good old way is good enough for him, but he is tolerant of the opinions of 
others. His mental characteristics are of a high order. His memory of events is 
so remarkable that it is a proverb of his editorial room that no encyclopedias or 
gazetteers will be needed there while he lives. As a citizen he is unobtrusive, his 
infirmities of sight and hearing preventing his mingling in puplic meetings, but his 
person is known to every citizen of Milwaukee and loved in thousands of homes. 

In the course of his long life the only office he ever held, and which he re- 
garded as an honor, was that in the |)residential election of 1872, when his name 
headed the electoral lickci which g;i\c the vote of Wisconsin to Cicncral I'lysses 



782 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

5. Grant. The people, however, honor and love him, and his standing in the com- 
munity is shown by the fact that on the 5th day of July, 1894, a fine marble bust of 
him, in connection with one of Senator Matthew H. Carpenter, was presented to 
the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, which gladly accepted them; while 
speeches were made by various prominent citizens, who paid tributes to the public 
services of the originals of the marble likenesses. 



AMOS A. L. SMITH, 

MILWAUKEE. 

MR. A. A. L. SMITH was born at Appleton, Wisconsin, September 8, 1849, 
the son of Reverend Reeder and Eliza P. (Kimball) Smith, and was the first 
white child born in that place. His father was one of the most conspicuous citizens 
of Wisconsin, and to him belongs the credit of having been the founder of the city 
of Appleton, as the agent of Amos A. Lawrence, of Boston, who was the owner of 
the land upon which the city now stands. He also established the Lawrence Uni- 
versity, at Appleton, and founded the town of New London, Wisconsin, which he 
named after his birthplace in Connecticut. 

The subject of this sketch was prepared for college at the Lawrence University, 
at Appleton, where he completed his sophomore year. He then entered the North- 
western University, at Evanston, Illinois, in September, 1869. After a full classical 
course, he was graduated in 1872, taking the highest prizes for oratory and English 
composition. He was a prominent debater in the literary societies of the institu- 
tion; was for two years editor of the college paper; took several special studies in 
the department of engineering, and in languages was quite proficient, having in his 
college course read the whole trilogy of Aeschylus, in addition to the Greek pre- 
scribed. He also prepared an oration in Greek. 

Immediately after graduation Mr. Smith became traveling correspondent for 
the Chicago Inter Ocean, and a few months later joined the editorial force of the 
city department for two years. In the meantime, having access to the extensive 
law library of J. Y. Scammon, proprietor of the paper, his spare moments were de- 
voted to the study of the law. 

In 1874 became to Milwaukee, where he completed his law studies and was ad- 
mitted to the bar the same year, and commenced the practice of his profession in 
the office of Carpenter & Murphy. Here, for two years, Mr. Smith assisted in the 
preparation of cases and participated in many of the trials conducted by the firm. 

Upon the return of Senator Carpenter from Washington, in March, 1876, Mr. 
Smith rented the office and library of Chief Justice E. G. Ryan, and began the 
practice of law on his own account, acquiring a large and representative clientage. 
Subsequently he entered into partnership with Senator Carpenter and Winfield 
Smith, which was known as Carpenter & Smiths, and upon the death of the former, 
in 1881, the firm became Winfield & A. A. L. Smith. January 22, 1883, Mr. Smith 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 785 

became associated with the Hon. James G. Jenkins, afterward United States 
Circuit Judge, and General F. C. Winkler, forming the firm of Jenkins, Winkler & 
Smith. Later Mr. J. T. Fish was associated with them, and upon the subsequent 
retirement of Mr. Fish to become solicitor of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul 
Railroad, E. P. Vilas, of Madison, Wisconsin, entered the firm. When fudge lenk- 
ins went upon the bench, July i6, 1888, the present firm of Winkler, Flanders, .Smith, 
Bottum & Vilas was formed by combining the firms of Winkler. Smith & X'ilas, and 
Flanders & Bottum. 

In iSg:! Mr. Smith was one of the promoters and organizers of the Wisconsin 
.National Hank, an enterprise which at once took a prominent position among the 
the financial institutions of the Northwest. He has always taken an active part in 
the bank's affairs and is a member of its board of directors. 

Mr. .Smith is a lawyer of unquestioned ability and takes a most prominent posi- 
tion at the bar of the State! As counsel for estates and for business men in the 
guidance and conduct of their affairs, he is recognized as one of the most acute and 
safe counselors at the bar, combining sound legal attainments with excellent busi- 
ness judgment, and is the confidential legal adviser and counselor for two of the 
largest corporations in the city. 

A large portion of Mr. Smith's success is attributable to unremitting attention 
to his profession, and hard, steady work. He occupies a high position at the bar of 
the State and, although in the prime of life, can, with justifiable pride, look back- 
ward over Well-spent years.' 

He is a trustee of Milwaukee College and maintains a lively interest in educa- 
tional advancement. He is a lover of fine arts and is a connoisseur in the line, hav- 
ing a remarkably fine private collection of standard art subjects and of literature 
bearing upon art work. 

Mr. Smith was married to Miss PVances Louise Brown, of Evanston, Illinois, 
Ma}' 20, 1874: the result of this union has been three sons and one daughter. 



W. R. O'HEARN, 

BLACK RIVER FALLS. 

IT is not an easy task to describe adequately a man who has led an eminentlj' 
active and busy life, and who has attained to a position of high relative distinc- 
tion in the more important and e,\acting fields of human endeavor. But Ijiography 
finds its most perfect justification, nevertheless, in the tracing and recording of such 
a life history. It is, then, with a full appreciation of all that is demanded, and of 
the painstaking scrutiny that must be accorded every statement, and yet with a 
feeling of satisfaction, that the biographist essays the task of delineating in brief 
the salient points in the life history of one who has long stood as one of the repre- 
sentative and most honored business men of Black River Falls, Jackson county, 
Wisconsin. 



786 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Mr. O'Hearn was born in the Dominion of Canada, January 15, i8|^. He is 
the son of Thomas O'Hearn, a native of Canada, who came to the United States 
and fell in with the great tide of pioneers and homeseekers making for the vast 
forests of Wisconsin, settling first, in 1844, in Dodge county, and coming in 1855 to 
Jackson county, locating on the spot where the village of Melrose now stands. He 
was twice married, W. R. O'Hearn being the only issue of the first union; by the 
second marriage three children were born, — one son and two daughters. He was a 
pioneer of Jackson county, and by occupation a farmer and mechanic, — a plain, sub- 
stantial man, having passed the greater part of his life in the industrious pursuit of 
agriculture, leading the steady, even and uneventful life common to that calling. 

Mr. O'Hearn himself was reared on the farm, being brought up mainly in Jack- 
son county. He left the farm and engaged as bookkeeper for D. J. Spaulding, and 
worked his way up in business circles until he gained the responsible position he is 
now filling. Politically he is a Republican, but is not an office-seeker. He is a 
member of the Board of Aldermen, has served on the County Board, and filled 
other offices that all good citizens are expected to fill. 

He married June i, 1869, his choice falling on a girl he had known in his boy- 
hood, — Miss Flora Johnson, daughter of Nelson D. Johnson, a native of New Eng- 
land, who moved to Jackson county in 1856; the year following he returned to 
Massachusetts. Three children have been sent to the care and guardianship of 
Mr. and Mrs. O'Hearn, namely: Thomas, who was born September 10, 1870, and 
died January 22, 1885, his loss producing an irrepressible grief, as he was an extra- 
ordinarily fine boy; Harry, born June 16, 1875; 3.nd Florence, January 21, 1884. 

Mr. O'Hearn's handsome residence is a standing monument of his success, and 
an evidence of the care and thoughfulness of a devoted husband and father, and 
the happiest moments of his life are those spent around its fireside in the company 
of his amiable wife and interesting children. In his domestic and social relations 
Mr. O'Hearn has been as happy as he has been fortunate in business, and it is not 
improbable that the two facts are due to the same source, namely: his fixed deter- 
mination to be so, and the exercise of those qualities of mind and heart which make 
possible such results. 

The Jackson County Bank was organized in 1876, with W. T. Price as presi- 
dent, H. B. Mills, vice-president, and Mr. O'Hearn cashier. Mr. Price was succeed- 
ed by H. B. Mills, and he in turn was succeeded by his son, T. B. Mills. Mr. 
O'Hearn has been cashier of this bank since its organization, and has given almost 
his entire time and attention to the practical management of the bank's affairs. 
The Jackson County Bank, though not large, having a paid-up capital of $26,200, is 
nevertheless regarded as one of the best banking institutions in the country. Its 
board of directors is composed of some of the best business men of the county of 
Jackson; all of its stock is owned by citizens of Jackson county, and the men who 
are interested in it in every way are also interested in the general welfare of the 
locality where it is, most of them, in fact, having made the money which they have 
invested in it out of other lines of business conducted side by side with it. This 
naturally brinj^s to it a patronage and inspires in its management a confidence 
wliich could hardly come from any other source. But the work of building up the 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 789 



patronage and creating this contidcnce lias not come as a matter of course. It rep- 
resents time, patient labor, fair dealing and faithful attention to the rights as well 
as the necessities of the depositing and borrowing public. This work has fallen 
largely to the lot of the cashier, the subject of this sketch. Mr. O'Hearn has la- 
bored faithfully and continues to labor faithfully at his post, giving to every detail 
of the bank's business his individual personal attention or close supervision, and he 
knows the bank's progress from day to day, the volume of its business, and the 
status of its affairs intimately. For this labor Mr. O'Hearn is well qualified by 
nature and experience. All he has he has made himself. He therefore knows the 
value of a dollar; knows how to put a proper estimate on the hard earnings of 
those who commit their savings to his custody. He is a hard worker himself, pains- 
taking and faithfully exact. He is accommodating and pleasant to deal with. He 
has lived in the county since boyhood, and can take as many men by the hand and 
call them by name as any man in the county. He is quick to see and prompt to act; 
antl while indulgent with those who are deserving of his indulgence, he is neverthe- 
less positive with his word and requires the strictest observance of all obligations. 



WILLIAM GILBERT, 



WILLIAM GILBERT, son of Joseph and Mary (Pease) Gilbert, was born in 
the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 27, 1827. His father did a fairly 
successful business as a contractor, but during the chiklhood of our subject he died, 
and William was left an orphan, dependent upon his older brothers and sisters for 
a living. He was naturally of a tender and loving disposition, but the training of 
those who had him in charge did not develop that side of his nature as the careful 
and thoughtful guidance of a mother and father would have done. The things he 
most wanted were often denied him; and under very trying circumstances the boy 
grew to manhood. He attended the public schools of his native city for a time, 
but was soon obliged to forsake his books and provide for his own maintenance. 
He was apprenticed to his brother, a contractor, who, not unlike many other broth- 
ers, demanded and for years received services which he could have demanded of 
no one else. 

On the discovery of gold in California many men who were engaged in hard 
mechanical labor were thrilled with the hope of rapidly securing wealth on the Pa- 
cific slope, for years of labor in the East brought them small returns. It was said 
that not only could the precious metal be secured, but that there were also splendid 
openings for good workmen in all lines of trade, just waiting for those who were 
far-sighted enough to embrace the opportunities afforded. Mr. Gilbert resolved to 
try his fortune in the promised El Dorado, and in 1852 landed on the California 
roast, but unlike the many thousands before him, he decided not to engage in the 
mad race for gold in the way of mining, hof)ing to gain it through the channels of 



790 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

legitimate labor. For six years he engaged in business as a contractor and builder, 
and during that time accumulated some money. Becoming tired of the rough life 
of the West, he then returned to Philadelphia, where he entered the paper-stock 
business in a small way, and became acquainted with a trade that has made his 
career financially successful. 

In the year i860 Mr. Gilbert again started Westward, but this time only went 
half way across the continent, settling in Chicago, where he began business on his 
own interest. Later he formed a connection with Frank Palmer, and founded the 
wholesale paper firm of Gilbert & Palmer, which for many years did business at 
No. 14 La Salle street. Upon the death of Mr. Palmer, In 1864, Mr. Gilbert formed 
a partnership with Henry McCann, and enjoyed a prosperous trade. In 1868 he 
temporarily retired from business, but to a man of his energetic and industrious dis- 
position a retired life was next to impossible, and he again entered the world of 
trade. Under the firm name of William Gilbert & Company, he once more em- 
barked in the paper business, and was meeting with prosperity, when the great Chi- 
cago fire of October q, 1871, destroyed his property. To many merchants the 
disaster seemed irreparable, and some of the most enterprising delayed long ere 
starting in business again. Not so with the senior member of the firm of William 
Gilbert & Company. He resumed business at the old stand, Nos. 11 and 13 Market 
street, and soon recovered part of his losses. While yet in active operations in 
Chicago, his' attention was called to the successful inauguration of paper manufac- 
turing in the Fox river valley, Wisconsin, and in 1882, associated with George A. 
Whiting, of Neenah, Wisconsin, he began the erection of the first paper mill built 
in Menasha. This enterprise was not as profitable as others with which he has 
been connected, although by no means a failure, and in 1886 Mr. Gilbert sold out 
to his partner. The following year, associated with his sons, he organized the Gil- 
bert Paper Company and erected their present large plant, on the banks of the Fox 
river, in Menasha. Though Mr. Gilbert is its nominal head, he takes no credit for 
the success attending the enterprise, as the entire management has been left to his 
sons, whose energy, enterprise and ability merit the confidence and esteem of all. 
In 1888 our subject terminated his business interests in Chicago and moved to 
Neenah, where he now resides. 

In the winter of 1851 Mr. Gilbert married Miss Anna Apple, daughter of Jacob 
Apple, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the parents of four living children, 
W. M., A. M., T. M. and Ida, now Mrs. George Megargee, of Philadelphia. In 
May, i8qi, the loving parents were bereaved by the death of their son George, an 
exceptionally bright young man, and a general favorite with all who knew him. 

Politically Mr. Gilbert is connected with the Republican party, but has never 
been a politician in the sense of ofifice-seeking. He discharges all the duties of a 
loyal citizen in the matter of showing his interest in good government by casting 
his vote whenever required. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the In- 
dependent Order of Odd Fellows. He is domestic in his tastes and habits, and un- 
ostentatiovis in his charitable acts. His business life furnishes a notable example of 
what can be accomplished, even under adverse circumstances, by energy and reso- 
lution, when guided by iionorable ])rinciples and aided by agreeable personal char- 



REPRESENrATlVE MEN OF THE LMIEI) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 7Q3 

acteristics. His conduct in all mercantile transactions is marked by scrupulously 
fair dealing, frankness and kindness, and an abidin<>; faith in the better part of 
human nature. He became a successful merchant through his own efforts, and can 
leave to liis family a handsome competence, and that priceless heritage, — a good 
name. 



HON. JOHN LENDRUM MITCHELL, 

Mil WATKEE. 

FOR MORE than half a century before the will of the people carried into national 
prominence the subject of this sketch, by electing him to a seat in the halls of 
Congress, the name of Mitchell was a household word in Wisconsin. 

Alexander Mitchell, the illustrious father of Colonel John L. Mitchell, occupied 
a prominent place in the hearts of the people. His fame reached beyond the bor- 
ders of his great State, and he was honored with the title of " Father of the North- 
west." Alexander Mitchell certainly earned every degree of honor which the grate- 
ful people of his State and the Northwest are pleased to associate with his memory, 
for no man did as much for them and for their general prosperity as did the sturdy 
Scotch financier, whose sterling integrity, moral worth and intense energy had en- 
deared him to all and given him a national reputation. 

John Lendrum Mitchell was born in Milwaukee, October iq, 1842. His natu- 
rall)' bright mind and kind disposition were aided in his early boyhood by wealthy 
and generous parents, whose characters were such as to leave nothing to be desired 
in the way of precept or example. After exhausting all of the local opportunities 
for an education, — for the country was then in its infancy, — he was sent abroad, and 
for a period of six years he divided his time between Chester, England; Geneva, 
Switzerland; and Munich and Dresden, Germany. When about to enter college, 
the opening of the civil war caused him to lay aside his studies and hasten home to 
enlist in the cause of the Union. He could have remained in a foreign land, or he 
could have remained at home, — parental love and ample wealth would have main- 
tained him at either place, — for at that time he was still in his 'teens; but with two 
companions he raised a company that was designated Company I, Twenty-fourth 
Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. The primary duties and drills soon es- 
tablished in young Mitchell the true elements of the leader and he was elected by 
his com])any as its Second Lieutenant. In this station he departed for the front and 
was not long in finding with his company a prominent place in some of the most 
hotly contested battles, among which may be mentioned Perryville and Murfrees- 
boro. I le was soon promoted to a First Lieutenancy, and was detailed for duty as 
.Aide-de-camp on the staff of General Still and was subsequently made chief in the 
ordnance department. At this time, by reason of the failing of his eyesight, he was 
forced to resign and return home. 



794 BIOGRAPHICAI, DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Notwithstandiii';" his surroundings, he chose tlie vocation of farmer and from 
that day to this has felt his proudest distinction is that of being a "granger," and 
his greatest achievement that of converting 400 acres of wilderness into a farm that 
is unequaled in Wisconsin, and in many respects unparalleled in America. While 
cultivating his splendid farm at Greenfield, he developed a taste for fine blooded 
stock of all kinds, and in that line has achieved a national reputation. He was ap- 
pointed judge of trotters and roadsters at the Chicago Horse show in Chicago, in 
1892, and was appointed one of the Commissioners of the World's Columbian Ex- 
position, and named by President Palmer as chairman of the Live Stock Committee, 
but through pressure of private duties, he was obliged to resign the appointment. 
Mr. Mitchell is president of the Northwestern Trotting and Breeders' Association, 
and of the Wisconsin Horse Breeders' Association, and also a member of the board 
of appeals of the National Trotting Association. The last named organization is 
the supreme court of the turf, and decides all questions that pertain to the proper 
conduct of the jockeys, owners and others. 

He was elected president of the Twenty-fourth Regimental organization and 
holds a commission as Colonel. He was appointed by Congress a member for six 
years of the Board of Managers of the National Soldiers' Home, and he is the local 
manager of the Milwaukee Soldiers' Home, with its 2,000 inmates. There are to- 
day over 15,000 veterans in these institutions and to them all John L. Mitchell has 
proven himself a friend indeed. 

The speeches he has made to the inmates of these homes, some of which have 
found their way into print, unmistakably indicate that when the war is his theme 
and old soldiers his auditors he is an orator of eloquence and power. In his travels 
over the country in visiting these various institutions he has found time to make 
notes by the wayside, and what is better, print them. These published works show 
literary ability of which any writer might well be proud. He is a close observer of 
events, of scenery and of men, and has a straightforward way of putting things that 
is original, interesting and refreshing. 

As a politician, he has been equally successful. At the age of thirty he repre- 
sented his district in the State Senate. He was re-elected without opposition, and 
was tendered the nomination for a third term, but declined further honors in this 
direction. His business cares were increasing to such proportions that for a time 
he declined to serve in any ofificial capacity, but his friends prevailed upon him to 
accept the nomination for Congress, and the result was that he carried the former 
Republican district by a plurality ranging between 6,000 and 7,000. In 1892 he was 
elected to the United States Senate, where, as in the other offices, he has ably rep- 
resented his constituents. 

During the second Cleveland campaign, he was a member of the National 
Democratic Committee, having been promoted to that honorable position from the 
Milwaukee County Democratic Committee, an organization of which he has been 
chairman, and where he did much toward bringing his State over to the Democratic 
ranks. He is now the popular president of the Juneau Club, a Democratic organi- 
zation that ranks first in importance in Wisconsin. 



RErKESKNTATIVK MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN \(IIA'ME. 7Q5 

Mr. Mitchell takes a dee]) interest in school matters, and has found time to serve 
his community as School Commissioner, and also as President of the Public School 
Board of the citj' of Milwaukee. In this direction he has doubly endeared himself 
to the people of Milwaukee, for out of his ample wealth he supplies tlic children of 
poor parents with school-books. 

Nothwithstanding the numerous public offices that make great demands upon 
his time, he is president of the Marine & Fire Insurance Company's Bank, with a 
capital of $500,000, and the Milwaukee Gas Company, representing a plant valued 
at $1,500,000. He is also vice-president of the Northwestern Fire Insurance Com- 
pany; and last, but not least, he is a trustee of the famous Layton Art Gallery, an 
institution that cannot be equaled in any city in the West or Northwest. He is a 
connoisseur in matters of art, and has adorned both his city and country homes 
with choice and costly statuary and paintings. The city home is the work of his 
benevolent father, Alexander Mitchell, and its equal is difficult to find among those 
of the famous families of wealth in the East. It is an art castle, surrounded by ex- 
tensive conservatories. Among the attractions of the house is its large, well- 
equipped library and its wealth of art, exemplified in a thousand ways. Amid all 
this, the banker, farmer and Congressman, John L. Mitchell, presides with charm- 
ing modesty, unbounded hospitality and with that sturdy common sense character- 
istic of his race. 

Colonel Mitchell's highest ambition is to do all that he can for his town, his citj' 
and his country, and this desire has caused him to accept many public positions in 
which there is naught but honor and a world of cares. In the achievement of honor 
he truly emulates the example of his illustrious father, who will long live in the 
hearts of his countrymen. 

Colonel Mitchell is of the sturdy Scotch type in physique, — is of athletic build, 
is about five feet, eight inches in height, and weighs about one hundred and seventy- 
five pounds. He has a bright and kindly eye, and a warm, sympathetic face; he be- 
lieves in mankind as God's noblest creation, and man's works as worthy the study 
and toil of ages. He keeps himself in touch with the trend of current events, is 
kind and generous to those in his employ, and broad in his interpretation of man's 
duty to humanity. To those who have been less favored in the world, he has a no- 
ble, comprehensive sympathy. 



HON. EDWIN HURLBUT, 

OCONOMOWOC. 

HON. EDWIN HURLBUT was born in Newtown, Connecticut, October 10, 1S17, 
and is the son of Philander and Julia (Thomas) Hurlbut, both natives of that 
State. On his father's side he traces his ancestry in direct line to the Pilgrims who 
came over in the Mayflower, three brothers of the name having been among her 
passengers, and these were the founders of the family in America. Both his pa- 
ternal and maternal grandfathers served their country in the war of the Revolu- 
tion, and his father participated in the war of 181 2. One of his brothers was in the 



796 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

army sent by Jackson to quell the Calhoun Nullification rebellion, and three other 
brothers served in the great civil war, one of them losing his life in defense of the 
Union, 

Edwin, at the age of seven, moved with his parents to Bradford, Pennsylvania, 
where after attending school for seven years he struck out for himself, going on foot 
to Newark, New Jersey. There he remained for a year, and then emigrated to 
Michigan, but soon after returned to the East and began the study of law. At the 
age of twenty-four he had accumulated fourteen hundred dollars, twelve hundred of 
which he paid for a home and the balance for books. This was in Lodi, New York. 
To his bitter disappointment he found that his home was encumbered with a mort- 
gage, and he lost it. 

On his 23d birthday, October 10, 1840, he had been married to Miss Catherine 
Chandler, and after being dispossessed of his home, he moved with his wife to To- 
wanda, Pennsylvania, and continued the study and began the practice of law. In 
1847 he was admitted to the bar, and in the same year returned to Michigan, and 
was admitted to practice in the courts of that State. He received the appointment 
of Postmaster in his town and was also made District Attorney, and by gubernato- 
rial appointment Judge Advocate of the State militia, with the rank of Colonel. 
Believing he could better himself in the West, he moved to Wisconsin, settling in 
Oconomowoc in 1850, and was admitted to oractice in the Circuit, Supreme and 
Federal courts. 

During the first year of his residence there he became the attorney of the Mil- 
waukee, Watertown & Madison Plank Road, and in 1858 was appointed attorney 
for the M., B. D. & B. R. R., now the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, which posi- 
tion he held several years. In 1861 he was appointed Colonel on Governor Ran- 
dall's staff, and took an active part in obtaining recruits for the army. He contrib- 
uted largely in bounties to the families of those who enlisted, and pledged his ser- 
vices gratuitously for procuring their pensions and bounties, — a pledge that he faith- 
fully kept. He was sent to Washington with the Fourth Wisconsin Regiment, and 
received an appointment in the State Commissary's department, and was appointed 
to the office of Inspector of Troops, and to study the qualifications of officers for 
promotion. In the same year he was appointed Aide to the Commander-in-Chief, 
with the rank of Colonel. 

In 1862 he became Deputy United States Marshal, with Provost Marshal's pow- 
er to issue passes and superintend military affairs in the district, and was also 
tendered by the Governor the position of Colonel of one of the regiments, but de- 
clined because he thought the army was being officered by politicians rather than 
by soldiers. In 1869 he was appointed to represent Governor Fairchild at the in- 
ternational congress on penitentiary and reformatory discipline, of which body he 
was elected one of the vice-presidents. In 1872 he was appointed delegate to the 
international penitentiary congress, at London, but did not go, as upon arriving in 
New York he found he could not obtain passage on any of the ocean steamers under 
six weeks, and by that time the congress would have adjourned. He therefore 
spent the summer at various resorts on the sea-coast. 



REl'RESIiNTATlVE MEN Ol- THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. /QJ 



In May, 1874, he was a meinlx-r of the national prison congress, held in St. 
Louis, elected one of its trustees, antl appointed on the committee on criminal-law 
reform. In 1875 'le became the owner and proprietor of the Wisconsin Free Press, 
which he has successfully conducted ever since, never, however, relinquishing the 
lucrative law practice that he has enjoyed for so many years. The Free Press, 
under his management, has been a strong, influential and prosperous paper, fearless 
and outspoken, liberal to an extent even that has astonished his most cordial friends 
and disconcerted whomever may have been its foes. 

Politically it has stood for whatever its editor deemed to be right, truth and 
justice, regardless of all other issues or motives, and its circulation and influence 
are to-day stronger than ever in its history. 

In 1878 he was appointed a member of the board of managers of the State In- 
dustrial School for a term of three years, and in the same year elected trustee of the 
National Prison Association, at New York, and also one of the committee on dis- 
charged convicts. 

He at the present time holds the office of Court Commissioner, and is, and has 
been for many years, vice-president of the State Bar Association. He for three 
years filled the office of vice-president of the National Editorial Association, and in 
1886 was one of the committee appointed by that body to visit Florida and report 
the e.xtent of the injury to orange groves by frost. 

He is a prominent advocate of temperance reform. He stands prominent in 
the councils of the Masonic fraternity; is a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite 
Mason, and a member of the Knights Templar. He is also a Noble of the Mystic 
Shrine. Mr. Hurlhut is an active member of the Oconomowoc Yacht Club, and for 
years has been chairman of its committee on fish and game. He is quite an exten- 
sive holder of choice real estate in Oconomowoc. 

In his religious faith Mr. Hurlbut was formerly a Baptist, and built at his own 
expense a church for the local Baptist society, at a cost of five thousand dollars. 
It was, however, destroyed and the congregation became scattered, so that it was 
never rebuilt. Later Mr. Hurlbut became a member of the Episcopal Church. 

Politically Mr. Hurlbut was trained a Jeffersonian Democrat, and with his father 
peddled tickets at the polls for Andrew Jackson the second time he was elected to 
the presidency. He read law with Mr. Wilmot, author of the famous proviso law, 
and imbibed from him free-soil, or really abolition, sentiments. When fames K. 
Polk was running for the presidency, Mr. Hurlbut made speeches for him in Penn- 
sylvania, and afterward, when he resided in Michigan, stumped Ingham county in 
behalf of Lewis Cass. 

When he arrived in Wisconsin he was a free-soil Democrat, and so continued 
until the famous Glover rescue. In 1854, while in the office of Sherman M. Booth, 
editor of the Free Democrat, of Milwaukee, it was remarked that there were enough 
men who were opposed to slavery, if they could only be crystalized and brought to- 
gether. Mr. Hurlbut suggested that it was an easy matter, and told Mr. Booth to 
sit at his table and write a notice urging all who were opposed to the further exten- 
sion of slavery to meet en masse at Madison to effect some plan of organization. 
This was done: Mr. Hurlbut attended and was the only man i)resent from Wauke- 



7g8 IJIOGKAI'llKAL DICTIONARY AND TOKTRAIT GALLKRV OF THE 

sha county. A platform was agreed upon and after its adoption the question arose 
as to the most feasible means of uniting the various elements. Mr. Hurlbut offered 
a resolution, which was adopted unanimously, that all political differences should 
be held in abeyance until the objects sought in the platform were accomplished. 
The question then arose as to a name for the new party and it was on Mr. Hurl- 
but's motion that the name Republican was adopted, and the powerful Republican 
party of to-day thus received its name from Hon. Edwin Hurlbut, of Wisconsin, in 
1854. Mr. Hurlbut after this was elected a delegate to the convention that nomi- 
nated General John C. Fremont for the presidency, but did not attend. He con- 
tinued to warmly support the party, at whose christening he had officiated, for many 
years, and always took the stump in the various campaigns. He was, however, op- 
posed to Grant's nomination for a second term, because the appointments made by 
that gentleman were military, and he therefore bolted the Republican ticket and 
supported the lamented Greeley as a Liberal Republican. The Democrats endorsed 
Greeley's nomination and from that tirne Mr. Hurlbut occupied a prominent posi- 
tion in that party until iSqo, when on account of the issue on the school question he 
severed his connection with the Democracy and returned to the Republicans. At 
about this time he was largely instrumental in the organization of a Bennett Law 
League, which comprised a membership of about twelve thousand, all Democrats, and 
though the " Bennett Law" advocates were defeated, Mr. Hurlbut had the satisfaction 
of knowing that Oconomowoc was nearly the only spot in the State that held its own. 
Since that time his voice and pen have been used most vigorously for the princi- 
ples of Republicanism. During his long and busy lifetime he has filled numerovis 
political offices, having been Chairman of the County Democratic committee, mem- 
ber of the State Central committee for years and Chairman of the Senate and As- 
sembly committee in 1854. He has been twice elected District Attorney and also 
a member of the Assembly. At other times he has refused to be a candidate. He 
has been President and Trustee of the village of Oconomowoc, and since the city or- 
ganization has been Alderman, and for fourteen years was Clerk of the School 
Board, combining therewith the duties of Chairman. In fact, during his term of 
office the first school-house in the village was built by him. 

As has been previously mentioned, Mr. Hurlbut was married in 1840. By this 
union he had three daughters, Julia Augusta, Henrietta Catherine and Kate. Mrs. 
Hurlbut died April 6, 1864. On the 14th of October, 1886, Mr. Hurlbut was united 
to Miss Margie E. Spearing, daughter of J. E. Spearing, of New Orleans, and a 
lady of charming personality. Two children have been born to them: Edvvina, born 
October 18, 1887, and Margie Spearing, born June 15, 1889. 

Mr. Hurlbut is a man of the greatest sagacity, of large and varied reading and 
accurate information. Every department of modern inquiry finds in him a constant 
reader and a thoughtful student. As a man he holds the honor and esteem of all 
classes of people of all creeds and political proclivities. Unassuming in his man- 
ners, sincere in his friendship, steadfast and unswerving in his loyalty to the right, 
a man of very strong convictions, he has ever been determined in everything he did, 
and when he thinks he is right he follows his convictions and allows nothing to 
move him. He is a most engaging conversationalist, his ripe experience affording 




oc(u.,^j (yf/ 



V ^ f/ Li^c^/Lc(,_> 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNllEI) STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 8oi 



an intellectual feast for those with whom he is ljn)u<rht in social contact. \'ears have 
dealt kindly with him, and though now seventy-six years of age, he has greater ac- 
tivity and vigor than many who are his juniors. 

Mr. Hurlbut was one of the organizers of the State Agricultural Society, also 
of the Waukesha county Agricultural Society, and has personally made extensive 
experiments in the raising of fancy stock. He was for seven years manager of the 
State Industrial School at Waukesha, and through his efforts corporal punishment 
was abolishe I in that institution. He is certainly one of the most jjrominent citi- 
zens of Wisconsin. 



GENERAL LUCUUS FAIRClllLD, 



^^IlE subject of this sketch, Lucius I'"airchild, I'ast Commander-in-Chief of the 
-L Grand Army of the Republic, is a son of the late Jairus Cassius and Sallie 
(Blairj Fairchild, the former of whom was a native of New York, born December 
24, 1801. The mother was from New England and of Scotch-Irish descent, gifted 
with Scotch persistency and Irish kindliness, — a woman of particularly strong 
character and noted for her hospitality, a devoted wife and mother, who sent three 
sons to the defense of her country. Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild were married in Ohio, 
and a few months later moved to what is now Kent, Portage county, same State, 
where December 27, 1831, Lucius was born. The family then moved to Cleveland, 
in 1834, subsequently to Wisconsin, reaching Madison, then the capital of the Terri- 
tory, as it is now of the State, June 18, 1846, when Lucius was a few months over 
fourteen. 

The education of young Lucius was obtained in the common schools of Cleve- 
land, Ohio, and in the academy of Twinsburg, that State, and also in Waukesha 
Academy, Wisconsin. Less than three years after he arrived in Madison, so much 
had the newly discovered gold region of California attracted attention that he re- 
solved to venture a trip across the plains, in case he could gain his parents' consent. 
It was given and the lad of seventeen, with other adventurers from the vicinity of 
his home, started in March, 1849, for the land of promise, the El Dorado of the 
West. His father furnished him with his share of an ox team, a wagon and a good 
saddle-horse, and such necessary articles as could be packed in a wagon. The 
young man remained six years in California, and most of his time was spent in the 
mountains. There he lived, of course, the hard, rough life of the miner. His 
severe labor during that period yielded him a reasonable success financially, and he 
returned to his home in Madison. 

In referring to his trip West, he said: " I think that I owe a great deal to that 
portion of my life. I was forced to depend upon my own energy to attain any- 
thing, and there was no alternative but incessant labor. Since that period I have 
always been fond of work and glad to have plenty of it. In California, if I could 
not mine I hired out tf) others and labored l)y the day. For ol)vious reasons I grew 



802 lilOGKArHICAL DICIIONARV AND rORTKAIT GALLERY OK THE 

to depend upon myself, and I have reason to believe that this experience was of the 
greatest benefit to me in after life. We had many ups and downs, now wealthy, 
and again without a dollar in our pockets. We had a land claim in Scott valley, 
and raised the first crop of wheat there in 1854. I secured 700 bushels, which I sold 
at $7 per bushel, because we were 160 miles from the nearest wagon road south." 

The young man's first political experience occurred during these days. He 
had been selected a delegate to the convention which nominated Bigler for Gov- 
ernor. He was located up near the Oregon line, but courageously concluded to 
make the journey, so loaded a mule with his spare clothes, such as he would need 
in so distinguished a body. On the way the mule fell off a height into a rapid 
stream below and disappeared. This was the last of his precious outfit, so the 
young delegate traveled the remainder of the way without baggage. He sat in the 
convention without a coat, or a cent in his pocket. 

In 1858 he was elected, on the Democratic ticket, Clerk of the Circuit Court of 
Dane county, and discharged the duties of that office most acceptably, his prompti- 
tude, energy and business habits being no less conspicuous than his courtesy toward 
attorneys and all others doing business in the court. In the fall of i860 he was ad- 
mitted to the bar, but in the spring of the following year he left the legal career 
opening before him, after the firing upon F"ort Sumter, to offer his life for the de- 
fense of his country, and was one of the first to respond to the President's first call. 
He enlisted as a private, but was made Captain of an independent company, the 
Governor's Guard, which was assigned as Company K, First Wisconsin Volunteer 
Regiment. He declined the position of Lieutenant Colonel, offered him by Alex- 
ander W. Randall, then the Governor of the State, feeling that he was not fitted 
for the position. The regiment served its three months, from June 9, 1861, in east- 
ern Virginia, where, on July 2, it was engaged in a slight skirmish, at Falling Waters, 
with a part of Joe Johnston's men. — a skirmish remembered only as one of the 
earliest of the war, and one in which the Wisconsin troops were engaged for the 
first time. 

In August of the same year. President Lincoln appointed Captain Fairchild to 
the same position in the Sixteenth Regiment of Regulars, and at the same time he 
received from Governor Randall a commission as Major in the Second Wisconsin 
Infantry, which regiment had been engaged in the first battle of Bull Run, and was 
at this time in Washington. He accepted both appointments, and was the first 
officer of the regular army to receive leave of absence to serve with the volunteer 
regiments. Major Fairchild was commissioned Lieutenant Colonel soon after he 
was assigned to the Second Wisconsin, having previously declined the commission 
of Colonel of another regiment, which had been tendered him by the Governor of 
Wisconsin. Colonel O'Conner, of the Second Wisconsin, being in poor health, 
Lieutenant Colonel Fairchild commanded the regiment much of the time, though 
under the immediate supervision of the Colonel. It rapidly improved in discipline 
and efficiency and acquired the reputation of being one of the best regiments In 
the service. With the Sixth and Seventh Wisconsin and the Nineteenth Indiana, 
it formed a brigade which was first commanded by General Rufus King, of Wis- 
consin, and which afterward won an enviable reputation as a part of the First Di- 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 8o: 



vision of the I'irst Army Corps. It took part in nearly all of the battles and cam- 
paigns of the luistern army, except those of the peninsuhir, under (General Mc- 
Clellan. 

In 1862 the regiment participated in the movement upon Manassas, and subse- 
quenty formed a part of the Army of the Rappahannock, under General McDowell. 
After spending some months, first in the neighborhood of Fredericksburg and then 
in the abortive attempt to intercept the retreat of Stonewall Jackson, they were 
sent with other forces, late in July, to feel the enemy gathered in front of Cieneral 
Pope, and, after a successful skirmish and a march of eighty miles in three days, re- 
turned to their camp at Falmouth, and spent the early part of August in supporting 
a successful movement for cutting the Virginia Central Railroad, in the course of 
which they repulsed and drove Stewart's cavalry. They had hardly obtained a 
couple of days' repose, before theywere called to take part in the movement of the 
Army of Virginia, under Pope, which had just fought the battle of Cedar Mountain. 
Retiring with that army, they had successful skirmishes with the enemy at Beverly 
Ford on the igth of August, and at White Sulphur Springs on the 26th. On the 
evening of the 28th, while moving near Gainesville, along the Warrentown road 
toward Centerville, the brigade encountered Jackson's famous division, which was 
moving westward from Centerville, to form a junction with Longstreet, and fought 
it for an hour and a half. It was this battle, known as the battle of Gainesville, that 
probably gave the brigade the name of "Iron Brigade." While marching by the 
flank, the Second Wisconsin in advance, it was attacked by a battery posted on a 
wooded eminence to the left. Advancing promptly upon the battery, it encountered 
the rebel infantry emerging from the woods. The other regiments came rapidly 
up, and the enemy was reinforced by at least one additional brigade, and in this 
unequal contest (iibbon's command maintained their ground until at nine o'clock 
darkness put an end to one of the fiercest contests of the war. Most of the time 
the combatants were not more than seventy-five yards apart. Here Colonel O'Con- 
ner fell, mortally wounded, and our subject had a horse shot from under him. His 
regiment, which went into the fight with only 449, lost more than half of them in 
killed and wounded. 

During the next two days occurred the second battle of Hull Run, where lack 
of harmony and combined effort on the part of our military leaders resulted in a 
retreat of our forces at the end of the second day, while troops enough to have 
secured easy victory lay within reach of the battlefield. The Iron Brigade, being 
in McDowell's corps, did not reach the scene of battle until near the close of the 
first day. The next day the Second Wisconsin, which had been reduced by sick- 
ness and death to 150 men, was temporarily consolidated with the Seventh Wiscon- 
sin, and took part in the fight on the right wing, under the command of Lieutenant 
Colonel Fairchild, all the other field officers of both regiments being either killed 
or wounded. The failure of the left to hold its ground compelled the whole force 
to withdraw, and General Gibbon's brigade covered the rear, not leaving the field 
until after nine o'clock at night, gathering up the stragglers as they marched and 
showing so steady a line that the enemy made no attempt to molest them. Lieu, 
tenant Colonel Fairchild's regiment was the extreme rear, and lie was the last man 



804 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



to leave the field. Soon after the battle he was made Colonel of the regiment, to 
date from August 30, 1862. 

In the battle of South Mountain, on September 14, 1862, where the Iron Brigade 
so gallantly carried the strong center of the enemy at Turner's Gap, Colonel Fair- 
child was in command of his own regiment. He was with his regiment during the 
latter part of the great day at Antietam, September 17, when his regiment lost 
ninety-one of the 150 men engaged. It was after these two battles that General 
McClellan declared this brigade equal to the best troops in any army in the world. 
After taking part in the unfortunate battle at Fredericksburg, under Burnside, and 
the subsequent "mud campaign," Colonel Fairchild, with men of his own and an- 
other regiment, made two successful expeditions down the Potomac, February and 
March, 1863, gathering up horses, contrabands, provisions and prisoners. When 
the Army of the Potomac, under Hooker, advanced to the unfortunate field of 
Chancellorsville, the Iron Brigade, to which the Twenty-fourth Michigan had been 
added, and which even then only numbered 1,500 men, crossed the Rappahannock 
in pontoon boats at Fitzhugh's crossing, under a galling fire, and then charged the 
heights, carried the rebel rifle-pits by storm, capturing about 200 prisoners, thus 
rendering it possible to lay pontoon bridges. Arriving on the right of the battle- 
ground, near Chancellorsville, on the morning of the 3d of May. Colonel Fairchild 
was called by General Wadsworth, his division commander, to serve on his staff, 
with which request he complied. 

At Gettysburg, as the Iron Brigade, early on the first day, engaged in the des- 
perate conflict on Seminary Ridge, the Second Wisconsin, in advance, lost in less 
than half an hour 116 men of the 300 engaged, and there Colonel Fairchild fell 
with his left arm shattered, so that amputation was necessary. After being 
wounded he managed to reach the village, and in the home of a resident, the Rev. 
Dr. Schaffer, he received the tenderest care and nursing, by means of which, with 
skillful surgical attention and the strength of his constitution, he recovered 
sufficiently to return home. He was a prisoner within the rebel lines two days. 
While recruiting his health at Madison, having the desire and intention of rejoin- 
ing the army, and having been recommended by all the generals under whom he 
had served, for appointment as Brigadier General, the Union Convention of Wis- 
consin, much to his surprise, nominated him with great unanimity and enthusiasm 
for the office of Secretary of State. The unqualified and earnest support he had 
rendered to the Government by word and deed, the passionate patriotism, rising 
above all personal and party views, which had marked his course from the com- 
mencement of hostilities, rendered him an object of confidence and affection to 
those who tendered him the nomination. It was urged upon him by influential 
friends, that though perils seemed to encompass the Government at the North as 
well as the South, yet in his disabled condition he could serve the Northern cause 
more effectively by accepting the nomination than in any other way, and he yielded 
to the desires of the people, though it is believed that he subsequently, notwith- 
standing his success in ofifice, regretted that he did not follow his own impulses and 
remain in the army. "Thus closed," says a recent writer, "a military career, than 
which there were few more brilliant and valuable. He passed from private to 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 805 

Briijadier General in a little over two years, and every step of the progress was 
earned. He was an indefatigable worker, and gave all his time and best judgment 
to the service and aimed to improve every detail which came within his province. 
He was but thirty-two years of age when disabled by his wound. Such a rise, at 
such an age, and in so short a time, demonstrates conclusively his value as a soldier 
and his possession of rare qualities of organization and leadership." 

General Fairchild was elected Secretary of State, but previously resigned not 
only his rank in the regular army, but also that of Brigadier General of volunteers, 
to which he had been appointed. While holding this office he was ex officio a Re- 
gent of the University of Wisconsin. He always took a prominent part in the 
meetings of the board and in various ways promoted the welfare of that excellent 
institution of learning. He also took a deep interest in seeing that the dependent 
families of soldiers were paid the $5 per month allowed thein by law. After serving 
as Secretary of State for the full term of two years, he was, in 1865, nominated with- 
out opposition for Governor of Wisconsin, by the Republican Union Convention, 
and elected by a majority of a little less than 10,000. His inauguration took place 
January i, 1866, the beginning of the tenth administration since the; admission of 
the State to the Union. 

" In entering upon the discharge of the duties of the high office to which I have 
so recently been elected by the people," said the Governor in his inaugural address, 
"1 fully appreciate its responsibilities, and in the discharge of its duties I shall 
earnestly endeavor to execute faithfully the trust committed to my care, to honestly 
enforce the laws of the State and to carefully exercise the closest economy consist- 
ent with the public good In the expenditure of public money." He then told them 
in emphatic language on what terms the (then) recently rebellious States should be 
allowed to resume their functions in the Union. The "reconstruction policy" which 
Congress afterward enforced was in the main brought forth by him at this time and 
argued in a clear, vigorous and compact manner. "Our first duty," said he in his 
first message, "is to give thanks to Almighty God for all his mercies during all the 
year that is passed." He said that no people on earth had greater cause to be 
thankful than had our people, as the enemies of the country had been overthrown 
in battle. The war had settled great questions at issue between ourselves. 

The Governor performed the duties of his first term (as indeed of his two sub- 
sequent terms) as chief executive of Wisconsin to the satisfaction of the people 
and the intelligent earnestness and zeal with which he sought to promote the edu- 
cational interests of the State were especially commended. He devoted an unusual 
proportion of his time to the personal visitations of the penal reformatories, as well 
as the benevolent and educational institutions of the commonwealth. He urged 
the establishment of additional free schools, — one for the education of the feeble- 
minded. 

In 1867 Governor Fairchild was renominated without opposition by the Re- 
publican State Convention of that year, and re-elected by a majority of nearly 5,000 
over his Democratic competitor. His second term commenced at noon, January 6, 
1868, and again in 1869 was the Governor elected to the same jxisition, his majority 
being over 8,ooo votes. On tin- :;(! of lanuary, 1870. he was inaugurated for th(- 



8o5 BIOGRArillCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



third time, the only instance to that date of a person being elected to fill the chief 
executive office for Wisconsin for three consecutive terms. It was an emphatic 
recognition of the value of his services in the gubernatorial chair. 

In his last message delivered to the Legislature, January ii, 1871, the Governor 
declared that Wisconsin's State policy was so wisely adapted to the needs of the 
people and so favorable to its growth and prosperity as to require but few changes 
at the hands of the legislators, and those rather of detail than system, — a happy 
condition of public affairs truly, and one of which, after serving the people for three 
terms as their highest executive officer of the State, he might well be proud. Just 
here it may be stated that throughout his entire term of service, both as Governor 
and ex officio Normal School Regent, he did not relax his interest in the cause of 
popular education; on the contrary, he always encouraged it to the best of his abil- 
ity. The last term of Governor Fairchild's ofifice expired in the year 1871. 

In less than one year after his retirement to private life he was called by the 
United States Government to the Consulate at Liverpool, one of the most im- 
portant of the consular offices in her Majesty's dominions. He received his ap- 
pointment in December, 1872, and while in the discharge of his duties he gave par- 
ticular attention to the encouragement of the beef trade between the United States 
and Great Britain, which grew from nothing, as we may say, to immense propor- 
tions. American shipping was watched by Consul Fairchild with an anxious solic- 
itude, to the end that its best interest might be protected, and he was at all times 
prompt to extend a helping hand to our suffering "tars" and to such American citi- 
zens generally as were needing aid. " In his position he was engaged in a line of 
duties," says a recent notice of him, "which afforded no opportunities for examina- 
tion and admiration on the part of the world, but which in reality are not the least 
arduous or valuable of his career." He was one of the hardest-working consuls in 
the service of the Government, and he filled his place with a fidelity, intelligence 
and conscientiousness that have never been excelled. His mastery of the princi- 
ples of international law and commerce was especially noted by the English press 
and made the subject of unqualified commendation. He succeeded in creating in 
England respect for American officials far above the average entertained for our 
consular and other representatives. 

General Fairchild remained at Liverpool until 1878, when he was promoted to 
the position of Consul General at Paris, upon the motion of the Government. He 
had transacted the business of his consulate to the entire satisfaction of the depart- 
ment at Washington, as his promotion clearly demonstrated. When about to leave 
for France he received many tokens of the regard and esteem in which he was held, 
in the tendering to him of banquets, addresses and resolutions of public bodies and 
of citizens. 

He was no less fortunate in his discharge of his duties at Paris. He visited all 
the consulates under his charge and was again promoted, th^s time being made 
Minister to Madrid, succeeding James Russell Lowell, receiving every demonstra- 
tion of good-will from the gay Parisians upon leaving for Spain. This second pro- 
motion, like the first, was entirely unsolicited and was a high compliment paid this 
man by his (Government. While in Spain Minister Fairchild was given full power 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 807 

by the United States in a congress of representatives of thirteen governments, 
which met to settle affairs in Morocco on an international basis. He visited that 
country subsequently, at the instance of our Government, to inquire into the condi- 
tion of non-Mohammedans, especially the Jews. 

In March, 1881, he resigned his position as Minister to Spain, declining to re- 
main abroad any longer in any position. The education, in part, of his children in 
the United States, was of such paramount importance to him as to make irrevoca- 
ble his determination to return home; however, by special request of the Govern- 
ment he remained at his post until the following December, when he was relieved 
by Hon. Hannibal Hamlin. While in Spain he visited many of the commercial 
centers and consulates, as the United States has no Consul General in that country. 

General Fairchild reached his Wisconsin home March 2, 1882, on which occasion 
he received an ovation. As he stepped from the cars he was enthusiastically re- 
ceived by the Governor and other officers of the .State, and a large number of citi- 
zens. Speeches of welcome were made at the capitol, and feelingly responded to 
by the General. A telegram from Milwaukee expressed the sentiments of the old 
soldiers of that city toward him and voiced the feelings of the sturdy veterans of 
Madison. "Though in foreign countries for ten years," said the despatch, "your 
growth in the hearts and affections of Wisconsin people, especially the hearts and 
affections of her soldiers, has been steady and vigorous. Every soldier's heart to- 
day beats a happy, hearty song of welcome to the loved one-armed patriot." 

General Fairchild was elected, in 1886, Commander of the Department of Wis- 
consin, Grand Army of the Republic, and he gave his whole time to his duties as 
such officer, visiting various portions of the State and conducting the necessary cor- 
respondence. At the National Encampment, held in August of the same 3^ear, in 
San Francisco, he was elected Commander-in-Chief of that body. There were be- 
fore the session five candidates, all of whom were men of eminence and national 
reputation, and every one of whom would have filled the important and honorable 
office with credit. In October, 1893, he was elected Commander-in-Chief of the 
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, succeeding ex-President 
Hayes. 

The General's prompt action in aid of the earthquake sufferers at Charleston, 
South Carolina, and his sojourn through the Southern States, has been the occasion 
of most favorable comment by the press of the whole country. I le was everywhere 
cordially received by those who were formerly Confederate soldiers, and all the 
people who had anything of a knowledge of the benevolent character of the Grand 
Army of the Republic gave him the right hand of fellowship. It may be said, in- 
deed, that throughout the entire South he was greeted with uniform courtesy by all 
classes. 

The Cieneral was married in 1864, and has three children. He occupies the 
house erected by his father more than forty years ago. With a face indicating de- 
cision and frankness so plainly that no man can mistake; with a frame of medium 
size, but finely knit, active and powerful, and a mind not so much addicted to letters 
of learning as to strenuous activity of public or private business, yet actuated by 
genuine respect for literature, art and science and those whose taste tend to their 



»08 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

cultivation; not given to subtile speculations, but simple, clear, just and decided in 
his general views of men and things; direct and positive of speech, and at times, 
especially when busy, curt, with a soldierly bluntness which men do not dislike; des- 
titute of all cant or affectation and of all arts of the demagogue; a radical believer 
in giving all men the best chance that society can give, he is thoroughly patriotic, 
with marked executive ability, intelligent, prompt, energetic and incorruptible in 
the discharge of his public duty. Such a man is Lucius Fairchild. 



WILLIAM W. CHILD, 

EDGERTON. 

WILLIAM WALLACE CHILD was born in Rutland county, Vermont, No- 
vember II, 1824, and was a son of Penuel and Mary (Henry) Child. The 
family was founded in America, at an early day in the history of this country, by an- 
cestors who settled in New England. The gentleman whose name heads this rec- 
ord was reared and educated in his native State, and in the fall of 1845 emigrated 
Westward, settling in the Territory of Wisconsin, at what is now the town of Eagle, 
Waukesha county. For about two years he was engaged in teaching school and is 
numbered among the pioneers of that profession in this State. Subsequently he 
embarked in the mercantile business in Palmyra, Wisconsin, and afterward in Al- 
bion, Wisconsin, then known as Gravel Stone, whence he came to Edgerton, and 
was again engaged in mercantile pursuits. In i86q he entered the leaf-tobacco 
business, in which he was eminently successful, doing a large and constantly increas- 
ing business. He also engaged in buying wool, and that enterprise proved to him 
quite profitable. 

Whatever degree of success Mr. Child attained was due to his own unaided 
efforts and close application. He arrived in Milwaukee in the autumn of 1845 with 
but $58 in his pocket, and $50 of that amount he applied as payment on a piece of 
land in Waukesha county, which he purchased at the rate of $6 per acre. This was 
the first real estate he ever owned. A year later he sold the land at $10 per acre, 
thus realizing a large profit on his investment, which was his first experience in 
speculating. Though he never really engaged in agricultural pursuits he owned 
considerable land at. various times, and his judicious investments in that direction 
added materially to his income. 

Mr. Child was reared in the faith of the old Whig party, amid strong abolition 
sentiment, and when the Republican party was formed, to prevent the further ex- 
tension of slavery, he joined its ranks and ever after upheld its banner. In his 
social relations he was connected with Fulton Lodge, No. 69, A. F. & A. M., and oc- 
cupied nearly all the chairs of that society, filling the office of Worshipful Master 
in 1879. He held membership with no religious organization, but always endeav- 
ored to follow the golden rule, and lived an upright, honorable life, in many respects 
well worthy of emulation. 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 8ll 



In 1848 Mr. Child was united in marriage to Miss E. C H. Hatch, of Vermont, 
and they became the parents of two children,-- Florence E., born in 1849, and Har- 
old VV., born in 1851, — both of whom make their home with their mother. On the 
ist of September, 1894, Mr. Child was called to the home beyond, passing peacefully 
away after a short illness. He left many friends to mourn his loss, for he was highly 
esteemed by all who knew him, and Edgerton feels the loss of one of its most val- 
ued citizens. 



I 



LORENZO D. MOSES, 

RIPON. 

ORENZO D. MOSES is prominently connected with the banking and com- 
^ mercial interests of the Badger State, and his name is inseparably connected 
with the business history of Ripon. In modern ages, and to a large degree in the 
past, banks have constituted a vital part of organized society, and governments, 
both monarchical and popular, have depended upon them for material aid in times 
of depression and trouble. Their influence has extended over the entire world, and 
their prosperity has been the barometer which has unfalteringly indicated the finan- 
cial condition of the world. Of this important branch of business Mr. Moses is a 
worthy representative. The story of his success is short and simple, containing no 
exciting chapters, and is therefore all the more encouraging, as it indicates that 
others, showing the same industry, perseverance and steadfastness, may accomplish 
like results. 

Lorenzo Dow Moses was born March 8, 1842, in St. Lawrence county. New 
York, and is a son of William and Melinda (Robinson) Moses. His father was a 
farmer in moderate circumstances, and his early life was spent in the usual manner 
of farmer lads. At the age of eight years he lost his father, and in 1853, when 
eleven years old, he moved with his mother and stepfather to Waupaca county, 
Wisconsin, where he continued the educational instruction obtainable in the com- 
mon schools. His parents settled upon a farm near Ogdensburg, where Lorenzo 
remained until sixteen years of age, at which time he had obtained through close 
application a good English education, which he turned to account by teaching in 
the district schools of the county. In i860 he became a clerk in a general store, and 
the following year he began business for himself under the name of L. D. Moses, 
general merchant. In 1862 he temporarily retired from business, but in company 
with his brother again entered upon a mercantile career under the firm name of 
Moses Brothers. In 1866 he purchased his brother's interest and has since been sole 
owner of extensive mercantile interests. He continued his store in Ogdensburg 
until 1876, when he found a favorable opportunity to dispose of it and did so, but 
still retained a stock of goods both in Manawa and Marion, Waupaca county. 

On the 31st of October, 1880, Mr. Moses removed to Antigo, Wisconsin, where 
he carried on a store, and in 1881 there founded the Langdale County Bank. It was 



8l2 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AJSID PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

a private bank, but attained an excellent reputation for conservatism and solidity, 
which remains to the present time. Hard work and continual and close application 
to business had their effect on Mr. Moses' health and necessitated a retirement from 
active business in June, 1883. During the succeeding seven years he spent much 
time in travel, principally in Florida and California, in quest of health. 

The year 1890 witnessed his arrival in Ripon, his present home, where he im- 
mediately entered upon a life of usefulness and great activity, founding the German 
National Bank, with a capital of $50,000. He was elected the first president of the 
institution and has since held that position, his able management making it one of 
the solid financial concerns of the county. In 1892 he organized the Markesan State 
Bank, of Markesan, Wisconsin, and the following year the Princeton State Bank, 
of Princeton, and is vice-president of both institutions. In 1894 he organized the 
Bank of Manitowoc, located in the city of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and is interested 
and holds a directorship in the Waupaca County National Bank, of Waupaca, 
which was the first national bank organized in this county, serving also as its vice- 
president. The later years of his life have been almost exclusively devoted to 
banking, and he has been remarkably and deservedly successful. His business career 
has been marked by an unswerving energy and persevering fidelity to duty in every 
station of life, and his success has been the gradual outcome of intelligent, persist- 
ent and honorable effort. His experience as a successful merchant and banker has 
given him an insight into business which insures prosperity to every enterprise with 
which he is connected, and his advice and counsel are often sought on commercial 
questions. 

Mr. Moses was married April 14, 1864, to Miss Fannie M. Jaquish, of Madison, 
and they are now the parents of three children, — Frederic L.; Guy I., who is now 
assisting his father in the German National Bank of Ripon; and Blanche. Mr. 
Moses is a man of great modesty of character, and his habits and tastes are like- 
wise simple. He is a thorough Republican, but is in no sense a politician, and has 
never sought office for himself. He takes great interest in all matters of public 
importance, both local and national, and believes it his duty to ever cast his vote in 
the interest of good government. 



GEORGE DALE, M. D., 



GEORGE DALE, M. D., a prominent practicing physician whose office and 
residence are in lola, Wisconsin, but whose reputation extends throughout the 
country, claims England as the land of his birth, which occurred in Durham, on the 
i8th of March, 1844. His parents were Dr. George Thomas and Mary Ann 
(Parish) Dale, and the Dales are a family of physicians, the father, brother and son 
being physicians. The family is of English origin and has long resided in the 
" Merrie Isle." In 1856 the father emigrated with his family to America, settling 
in Chicago, and was soon recognized as one of the eminent and successful practi- 
cioners of that city. 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 815 

Our subject atteiKk'd tlu' common and hij;h schools of Chicai:ro and also an 
advanced high school in Blue Island. He remained in the Chicago schools until 
i860, and on leaving the Blue Island school entered a medical college, where he 
remained for a term and a half, but his studies in that institution were suddenly in- 
terrupted in March, 1862, by his enlistment in the army. He was mustered in as a 
private of Company L, Second Illinois Light Artillery; was afterward detailed and 
made assistant surgeon of the field hospital; later first assistant surgeon with the 
emoluments of captain, and participated in a number of important engagements, 
including the battles of Island No. 10, Jackson, Vicksburg, Memphis, Paducah, Port 
Hudson, Big Black River, and the Red river expedition, and at Yazoo City, Missis- 
sippi. In the battle of Champion Hills he was wounded in the left arm, and de- 
prived of speech and hearing by the concussions of the artillery at Yazoo City. 
After a time he partially recovered his hearing, but it was six months before he 
recovered the use of his voice. He was also severely wounded in the right hip, at 
Yazoo City. 

Upon his return to Chicago Dr. Dale began the practice of his profession and 
was exceedingly successful, winning a liberal patronage from a representative class 
of people. His ofifice was located at 114 Randolph street and was destroj'ed in the 
great fire which swept over the city in October, 1871, but, taking time by the fore- 
lock, he immediately opened another office at 523 Wabash avenue, and attended 
college and graduated, profitably continuing the prosecution of his profession until 
1876, when failing health forced him to leave that city. It was his intention to o-o 
to California, and before making the trip he came on a visit to his wife's relatives 
in Waupaca county, Wisconsin. He found the air here so bracing and the climate 
so beneficial that he concluded to remain, and established an office in lola, where 
he soon secured an immense practice. He began paying special attention to the 
treatment of tumors and cancers and was so successful along this line that he estab- 
lished a sanitarium, which has gained a well merited reputation, his business stead- 
ily increasing until it has assumed extensive proportions. 

On the 15th of November, 1868, Dr. Dale wedded Miss Sarah A. Lawrence, of 
Chicago, who died July 8, 1881, leaving four children: George L., a graduate of 
Knox College, at Galesburg, Illinois, who is now studying medicine in Rush Medi- 
cal College, where he has earned a high reputation from his knowledge of cancer- 
ous diseases; Lillian S.; Bessie A., now the wife of Thomas Freeman, D. I). S., 
of lola; and William H. On the 25th of July, 1882, Dr. Dale was again married, his 
second union being with Miss Carrie M. Sethe. 

The Doctor is connected with various civic societies. He has served as Com- 
mander of the Grand Army Post of lola; is identified with the blue lodge and 
chaiiter of the Masonic order, at Waupaca, Wisconsin, and is a Knight Templar, 
belonging to St. Croix Commandery, of Stevens Point. He is connected with the 
Knights of Pythias lodge of Waupaca, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the 
Knights of Honor and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He belongs to 
Bishop Cheney's Church, of Chicago, but takes no very active part in religious work. 
In his political views he is a Republican. He served as president of the Wisconsin 
State Electic Medical Society in the years 1885-6; has been Secretary of the Board 



8l6 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



of I'ension Examiners at Stevens Point; is a member of the National Medical Eclectic 
Association, the Illinois State Eclectic Medical Association; the Wisconsin Phar- 
maceutical Association, and was medical director in the Wisconsin Department of 
the Grand Army of the Republic. He was a member of the World's Congress 
Auxiliary, which convened in Chicago in 1893, and acts as surgeon for the Green 
Bay, Winona & St. Paul Railroad and the Tola & Northern Railroad. Through his 
connection with these various organizations he has become widely known; his well 
spent life has gained him honor, and his success in the line of his profession has se- 
cured him a most enviable reputation. 



HON. WALTER McINDOE, 



WALTER DUNCAN McINDOE, a native of Scotland is the son of Hugh and 
Catherine (McCrea) Mclndoe. He was born in Dumbartonshire, March 28, 
181Q and after attaining suitable age attended school steadily until seventeen years 
old, when he emigrated to the United States. Landing in New York, city he there 
obtained a position as a bookkeeper, for which profession he had been thor- 
oughly fitted in his native land, and in the national metropolis was thus employed 
for four years. He pursued the same calling in Virginia and South Carolina, and 
was a bookkeeper in St. Louis for three years. 

Near that city, in Florisant, St. Louis county, he was united in marriage to Miss 
Catherine H. Taylor, the wedding ceremony being performed by the Reverend 
Father Butler, on the 20th of February, 1845. In the autumn of the same year Mr Mc- 
lndoe removed northward into the pineries of Wisconsin, leaving his young wife to 
follow him a year or two later. He settled at Wausau, Marathon county, then little 
more than a wilderness, and there engaged in lumbering, which business he followed 
steadily until his demise, which occurred August 22, 1872. He was one of the most 
competent and successful business men that ever settled in this part of the State. 
His traits and talents were fully appreciated by his fellow-citizens, who frequently 
honored him with positions of trust and responsibility. He was a member of the 
Legislature during the sessions of 1850, 1854 and 1855 and was among the practical, 
wise and diligent workers in that body, though, being a Whig, — a party in those 
days in the minority in the Assembly, — he could not occupy a high position on com- 
mittees. 

In 1857, Mr. Mclndoe was a prominent candidate before the Republican State 
convention for Governor, but the nomination finally fell to the lot of Alexander W. 
Randall, who was elected. In 1862 occurred the death of Luther Hanchett, member 
of Congress from the second district, and in December of that year, Mr. Mclndoe 
was elected to fill the vacancy in the Thirty-seventh Congress. It soon became 
evident that the selection was a good one. He grew rapidly in popularity with his 
Republican constituents, and by re-election retained his seat in Congress for five 
years. He rendered especially valuable services on the Committee on Indian Af- 




^.lAy^^^ /^ LL^i^^\ 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OK THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 819 

fairs, was chairman ot the Committee on Re\olutionary Pensions, antl also acted on 
other committees. lie was rarely heard upon the floor, his great strength being 
manifest in the committee rooms. He was an indefatigable worker and very influ- 
ential, often carrying his point by sheer perseverance. He was a Presidential Elec- 
tor in 1856 and in i860, also in 1872, casting his vote on these respective occasions 
for John C. Fremont, Abraham Lincoln and U. S. Grant. 

On leaving Congress, 1867, he applied himself very closely to his business, which 
had suffered somewhat during his absence in public service. He had the finest 
sawmills on the Wisconsin river, owned large tracts of land in Marathon county, 
and was for many years the leading lumberman in VVausau. In i860 he lost his 
right hand in a sawmill. He soon, however, learned to write with his left hand and 
seemed not the least crippled with his misfortune. When he was not able to do 
anything one way he would do it in another. He was a man of great intellectual 
as well as physical resources and rarely failed in accomplishing his ends, carrying 
forward to successful completion whatever he undertook. 

Mr. Mclndoe was si.x feet and one inch in height, weighed about 200 pounds, 
was graceful and symmetrical in proportions, had more commanding figure than one 
often sees, and was a conspicuous man in any gathering. He was genial, liberal and 
companionable, a good conversationalist and richly endowed with the elements 
which go to make up the popular as well as the useful man. His death was a loss 
to the city, county and State. He left his widow in comfortable circumstances. She 
resides at the old homestead in the central part of Wausau. Though deprived of 
the society of her early chosen companion, she has sources of comforts not known 
to the careless world. 



JAMES J. DICK, 

BE.WER DAM. 

IX the last half of this century the influence of the lawyer has been pre-eminently 
potent in all affairs of private concern and national importance. The man 
versed in the laws of the country, as distinguished from professional politicians or 
business men, has been a recognized power. 

He has been depended upon in war and peace to conserve the best and perma- 
nent interests of the whole people, and without him, and the approval of his practi- 
cal judgment, the effort of the statesman and the industry of the business man and 
mechanic would have proven futile. The reason is not far to seek. The success- 
ful lawyer is never the creature of circumstance. The profession is open to the 
talent, and eminence cannot be obtained e.xcept by indomitable energy, perseverance, 
patience and intelligence, -qualities which bring success to all who possess them. 

Such a man has been and is James Jefferson Dick. (.)f Scotch descent, his 
character is of that honest, prudent and deliberate kind that forms the foundation 
of the best citizenship and safest material policy. He belongs to the class of quiet. 
retiring men who never ask for office for themselves, who never seek to obtain 



820 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

nominations at the hands of caucus or convention, yet by sheer force of mind and 
cliaracter exert a wide-felt influence, and leave their impress upon the community. 
Our subject was born in the village of Westfield, Chautauqua county, New York, 
September 8, 1836. His father, James Dick, born in Grafton, New York, in May. 
1810, was a mechanic, whose father emigrated to this country from Scotland. The 
maiden name of the mother of our subject was Mahala Rogers. She was born in 
Erie, Erie county, Pennsylvania, and can lay claim to being of older American 
origin, as two of her ancestors fought under Washington at Valley Forge. 

The parents of Mr. Dick, though in moderate circumstances, were able to give 
their son a collegiate education. In the common school, as pupil and teacher, he 
mainly laid the foundation for a practical education, which embodied at once the 
education and discipline that have stood in good stead in later life. Attention given 
in early days to mathematics and kindred subjects gave him a predilection for the 
life of a civil engineer, and at the age of eighteen he entered upon the civil-engineer- 
ing course in the Westfield Academy, where he remained until 1856. In May of that 
year he came West and located at Beaver Dam, where he taught school until i860. 
At this time Mr. Dick returned East and entered the Albany Law School, 
where he was graduated in the class of 1861, obtaining the degree of LL. B., and 
being admitted to practice in all the courts of New York State. Returning to Wis- 
consin, Mr. Dick began to practice his profession in Beaver Dam. He formed a 
partnership with H. W. Lander, which continued profitably for more than three 
years. Mr. Dick has a natural aptitude for the legal profession; he is a deep thinker, 
a close student and a logical reasoner. Bringing with these qualities a capacity for 
hard, earnest work, he was quickly recognized as a lawyer of high rank, and his 
services have always been in great demand. 

While Mr. Dick has always preferred to engage in cases which required his ap- 
pearance as a trial lawyer before the bench, with or without a jury, in chancery cases 
and cases on appeal, he has won some notable victories in criminal courts. He has 
appeared as counsel for the defense in important murder cases and been universally 
successful, but has never consented to prosecute in a murder trial for fear of con- 
victing an innocent man. He has an intuitive perception of and love for justice, and 
has, as a consequence, an instinctive appreciation of what courts can be persuaded 
to hold as law. He is exceedingly forceful as a speaker, and has the gift of caution 
in his argument, never seeking to establish principles or rules unnecessary for his 
case, nor to carry a rule of law further than the case in hig favor requires. 

The literary and educational enterprises of Beaver Dam have in Mr. Dick a 
warm friend, and there are few movements of note in which he is not interested. 
The public-school system of our country is a constant source of pride to true Ameri- 
cans, and in most sections the management of public educational institutions de- 
volves upon those men best adapted to properly conduct these managerial duties, 
irrespective of their political affiliations. 

In political affairs Mr. Dick acts with the Democratic party, but has never 
sought political ofifice of any kind. The position of Superintendent of city schools 
is elective, and in 1874 Mr. Dick was chosen to fill that official position, to which he 
has been re-elected at each school elect'um for the past twenty years. His ripe ex- 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 82I 



perience, steady judgment and honest services could not be surrendered. Under 
his administration the system has been extended, its prosperity augmented and its 
Standing sustained. He commands at once the confidence of the public in addition 
to that of the teachers in the schools, — they trust his word and respect his jud;/ment. 

In 1884, when the movement to secure a public library for Beaver Dam was in- 
augurated, Mr. Dick was one of the powerful factors in bringing the movement to 
successful consummation. After the library became an assured fact he was chosen 
its first president, a position which he has since held continuously. 

Mr. Dick is a Mason and a Knight Templar. He has passed through various 
chairs in the blue lodge. 

On August 5, 1862, Mr. Dick was married to Miss Helen .M. Drown, only daugh- 
ter of William Drown, of Beaver Dam. 

Mr. Dick's professional career has been marked for its fidelity to the interests 
of his clients, irrespective of pecuniary considerations. He has commanded the 
esteem of the people of all classes and of all opinions, through his uniform courtesy 
and his unchanging integrity to their interests. 



HON. ORMSBV B. THOMAS, 

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN. 

HON. ORMSBY BRUXSON THOMAS is a native of the Green Mountain 
State, having been born at Sandgate, Bennington county, on the 21st day of 
August, 1832. His parents were John and Caroline (Brunson) Thomas, the former 
a farmer by occupation. Ormsby, w-ho was the eldest of the five children of this 
worthy couple, obtained his rudimentary education at the common schools of his 
native village, and this was supplemented with a course of two years' duration at 
the Burr Seminary, Manchester, X'ermont. Later he attended the National Law 
School, at Poughkeepsie, New York, during the years of 1854, 1855 and 1856, grad- 
uating from this institution during the latter year. His parents had in 1836 removed 
to Prairie du Chien, but, owing to the meager educational facilities offered there at 
that early day, had had him avail himself of the advantages of the Eastern institu- 
tions of learning. 

After receiving his diploma from the National Law School, he returned to his 
Western home, where in 1857 he embarked in the practice of his profession, and con- 
tinued at the same until 1862, at which date, ca.sting aside any private ambition he 
may have had, he joined the army as Captain of Company D, Thirty-first Wisconsin 
Infantry, and proceeded to the front. With his regiment he served in the South- 
west, and participated in Sherman's ever memorable march to the sea. In 1864, his 
term of service having e.xpired, he returned to Prairie du Chien and resumed his 
law practice, establishing a partnership with Colonel Nicholas .Smith, which contin- 
ued, however, for but two years; after which he practiced alone until 1875, when he 
became associated with Hon. Charles S. Fuller, under the firm name of Thomas & 
Fuller, a connection that has remained unbroken till the present day. The firm is 



822 lUOGKAIMUrAl. niCri(.)NAKV AMI I'OKlKAir GAI.l.l'.RV 0¥ THE 



the leading law firm in Crawford county. Politically Mr. Thomas is a stanch Re- 
publican. He served several terms of two years each as District Attornej' of Craw- 
ford county, and was a member of the Wisconsin General Assembly during 1862, 
1865 and 1867, was a Presidential Elector in 1872. and State Senator in i88oand 1881. 
In 1884 he was elected to the XLIXth Congress, receiving 18,437 votes. He de- 
feated Gilbert M. Woodward, Democrat, of LaCrosse, by a majority of 3,299. Dur- 
ing this session, in which the Democrats were in the majority, he served on the 
Committees on Private Land Claims, and Expenditures of the Department of 
Justice. He was re-elected to the Lth Congress, defeating S. N. Dickerson, of Sparta, 
by a majority of 4,603. In this Congress, in which the Democrats were also in the 
majority, in addition to being a member of the same committees as during his pre- 
vious term, he was also on the committee on War Claims. In 1888 he was again 
chosen to succeed himself, receiving 19,918 votes, against 15,433 cast for his Demo- 
cratic opponent, Frank A. Coburn, of Salem. During that term he was Chairman of 
the committee on War Claims, and a member of the committee on Indian Depre- 
dation Claims. 

During his six years' service he was ever faithful and fearless in the fultillment 
of public duty. He spoke considerably on the floor of the House, and devoted him- 
self most assiduously to the interests of his constituents. It is an interesting fact 
that he was the first to introduce a bill looking to the abolishment of trusts, urging 
that it be made a penal offense to organize or carry out a combination of that 
nature. 

He is identified with the Masonic fraternity. On the 5th of June, 1S75, Mr. 
Thomas was united in marriage to Miss Sarah P. Rosencrantz, of Crawford county. 
Mrs. Thomas' death occurred in 1884. She left two children, John and Carrie C. 



NVMPHAS B. HOLWAV, 



NVMPHAS B. HOLWAV was born at Madison. Maine, May 5, 1824, and was 
the son of Zaccheus and Azuba (Jones) Holway, the former a native of 
Cape Cod and of Puritan ancestry. 

At an early age our subject obtained employment in the woods, at a compensa- 
tion of ten dollars a month, which vocation he vigorously pursued for more than 
seven years. The latter part of the time, however, he received fourteen dollars 
a month by reason of his proficiency. This remuneration at the time appeared to 
him to be princely. His habits were correct and economical and out of his meagre 
salary' he saved $1,100. 

In 1850, like thousands of others throughout ihc country, he caught the pre- 
vailing California gold-fever, and hoping to advance his fortunes, he set out for the 
Golden Gate. Arriving there, he at once engaged in mining,^a pursuit he fol- 
lowed for the ensuing three years, and in which he met with fair success. Bur a 
young man of such ability and such ambition to better his condition, could not re- 




•W^' 



'h-iS . yuc 



UC^ Ci- 



7 



RKI'KESKNTATIVK MEN OK IIIE liNirKI) SrATliS; WISCONSIN VOl.UMK. iS25 



main contentedly in such an occupation, and he therefore returned to the East 
and, after some travel in seeking a suitable business opening, he finally turned his 
attention to the lumbering interests of the great Northwest and decided to em- 
bark in that field with La Crosse, Wisconsin, as his point of location. Having come 
to this decision, he, in company with the late C. M. Nichols, purchased, in 1856, a 
half interest in a sawmill at Onalaska, a few miles north of La Crosse. Three years 
later this mill was destroyed by fire, terminating the business relations hitherto ex- 
isting between Mr. Holway and Mr. Nichols, and almost ruining Mr. llolway, for 
all his means had been invested in the mill proi^erty. But his career up to this 
time, though short, had been honorable and, thovigh his money was gone, his credit 
was e.xcellent and he was enabled to go into the logging business for himself, con- 
tinuing alone until 1864, when Abner Gile became his partner, —a connection that 
continued for many years. 

In 1875 Mr. Holway purchased what had previously been know as the Robert 
Ross mill, at North La Crosse, and operated it for two years, at the expiration of 
which time it was destroyed by fire. To most men a second blow of this description 
would have proven most discouraging, but to Mr. Holway discouragement was un- 
known. He believed that defeat was but an educator, — the first step to something 
better, — and so instead of becoming disheartened he immediately rebuilt upon the 
old site, increasing the capacity and equipping the mill with new machinery and 
appliances. As the mill stands to-day, the main building is 196 feet in length and 
fifty feet in width. A projecting L, in the center of the south side, is occupied 
by a shingle-making machine, and a separate building, with gable roof, is the lath 
mill. Near the river end of the mill, but entirely tletached from it, stands a stone 
boiler-house containing five large boilers, and from this the two metal smoke-stacks 
start upward. Still nearer the mill is an additional brick boiler-house, with four 
more boilers, which also serves as an engine room. In this room is located a 150- 
light dynamo, which furnishes light when needed to the entire plant. The cut of 
the mill averages for a ten-hour day 135,000 feet of lumber, 80,000 shingles and 40,- 
Goo lath. Adjoining is the planing mill, and thus the N. B. Holway mill stands, — 
one of the best on the upper Mississippi. 

In -August, i8q2, a representative of the Northwestern Luml)crman, of Chicago, 
called on Mr. Holway, ami from an article that appeared later in the journal we 
quote the following : 

"I told him my mission and began asking questions about the mill and his 
own history. He was modest and inclined to underrate the good qualities of his 
plant and his own success, but at the same time was thoroughly responsive. As we 
talked I learned of his first experience as a logger in the woods of Maine, and how, 
when the gold fever was on, he had gone to California, but after three years spent 
there returned and finally, aijout 1854, was led to come to the \mic woods of \Vis- 
consin. I suggested then that possil)ly the financial Ijcginning of his business inter- 
ests here consisted of the bags of gold dust he had brouglit back from the slope, 
but he said, 'Oh, no! there was very little of that,' and told how the first year when 
he began logging on Black river, he had only money enough to fit out one camp, 
and only put into the water during the season some five or six hundred thousand 
feet of logs. ' But,' said he, ' I was very proud of that then, for it was the begin- 
ning.' and so he talked cheerily on, telling how, in 1856, he acquired a one-fourth 



826 KIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



interest in the sawmill operated for the next two years, until it burned, under the 
name of Snyder, Miller & Holway; how later, in 1864, he and Abner Gile joined 
forces in the logging bvisiness and formed the firm of Gile & Holway, which was 
not dissolved until 1888, having lasted twenty-four years without a disagreement or 
misunderstanding between the partners. He dwelt at some length upon this fact 
and seemed justly proud of it. 

" Then he told of buying the Robert Ross mill in 1875, located on the site of his 
present mill ; how he paid $10,000 cash for it and that fall invested $3,000 more in 
improvements, and how the next spring, after sawing only seven days, the whole 
property was wiped out by fire. It was a hard knock, but the present larger and 
better mill rose from the ruins of the first before the next season opened. A 
question arose as to the exact year of the fire. '1 can tell by something down at 
the niiil,' he said, and we went out together. F"eelingill as 1 did I envied his square 
shoulders, stalwart form, and the sturdy stride with which he walked. * * As we 
walked he pointed out the various departments of the plant with evident satisfac- 
tion. I said to him, ' Mr. Holway, it has been my experience that most of the suc- 
cessful lumbermen began life with little money and worked their way up, and you 
seem to be another illustration of this fact.' ' Yes,' said he, ' I suppose I am. 1 
have never been ashamed of my early days. I've worked hard, — they call me old 
Holway sometimes, but that don't hurt.' And so, without explaining his meaning 
further, he stopped as we reached the engine room, at the rear of the mill, and 
pointed to a tablet of marble, set in the brickwork, near the northeast corner, on 
which was inscribed, 'From Mrs. N. B. Holway to N. B. Holway, December 26, 
1877.' 'The new mill was built in 1877, you see,' he said. He stood idly stroking 
the stone with his hand as he spoke, with a look of reminiscent tenderness in his 
eyes. The memory of the triumphant rebuilding of the mill seemed to come back 
to him, while my mind dwelt on the oddity of the gift, yet recognized that the mind 
of the giver must have been full of Christian sympathy at the time, and that the 
spotless marble was symbolic of the accomplished work, — the rebuilding of the 
mill; for is it not promised in the Apocalypse — 'To him that overcometh will 1 give 
a white stone.' I little thought as 1 stood there that he whose hand then rested on 
the stone would so shortly go to claim the ' new name,' which is also promised to 
him who overcometh." 

In addition to his mill property, Mr. Holway was a director and vice-president 
of the Exchange State Bank, and a director in the Batavian Bank, both of La 
Crosse. He was the owner of 25,000 acres of timber land in Clark, Wood and Tay- 
lor counties, Wisconsin, from which the mill obtains its log supply, and also owned 
2,000 acres of farm and grazing land in Faribault county, Minnesota. 

In his mill he had no partner. He was indebted to no one but himself for all 
that he had, and the successful business that he built up was the result of his indi- 
vidual efforts; of perseverance in the face of every discouragement, and never re- 
laxing in his energy or his hope. In each and every detail of this vast enterprise 
his was the heart to resolve, the understanding to direct, and the hand to execute. 

Mr. Holway was a firm believer in the doctrines of the Universalist Church, of 
which he was a member. 

He was twice married. His first wife died in 1871, leaving four children. In 
1874 he was married to Miss Jessie M. Hogan, of La Crosse, — sister of Hon. James 
J. Hogan, ex-Speaker of the Wisconsin General Assembly, — who, with her five 
children, survive him. In September, 1892, Mr. Holway became afflicted with what 
was supposed to be peritonitis, and while all that medical skill and the loving min- 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF IllE UNITED SI A IKS ; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 827 

istrations of a devoted wife could do, were done for him, yet the attack resulted 
fatally, and on the 26th tlay of September he passed away, mourned by all who knew 
him. 

At a meeting of the trustees and members of the First Universalist Society, of 
La Crosse, held shortly after his death, the following resolutions were adopted: 

Resolved, That in the removal of Mr. Holway the Universalist Society, of La 
Crosse, Wisconsin, has lost an able and worthy su])porter, one who for eight years 
past has filled an honorable position upon the; board of trustees, faithfully perform- 
ing the duties of that office with interest and zeal; bringing to the work a ripe judg- 
ment, obtained by years of success in a business career. His generous heart, ready 
hand, cheerful presence and courteous manner rendered him an honored and es- 
teemed friend, whose place among us will long remain vacant, and whose memory 
will be cherished by all. 

"Resolved, That while we feel deeply the loss of our friend, and sorrow at the 
separation, we humbly bow to the will of our Heavenly I'^ather, who chastens us 
only for our profit; that we deeply sympathize with the bereaved family, commend- 
ing them to the tender care of 'Him who careth for the widow and the fatherless,' 
sharing with them the blessed hope of a reunion in the home where i)arting is un- 
known. 

"Resolved, That this testimonial of our regard and sympathy be placed upon 
the record of the society, and a copy be given to the bereaved family." 

The La Crosse Manufacturers' and jobbers' Union, at their third annual meet- 
ing, October 18, 1892, unanimously adopted the following resolutions: 

Resolved, That this body feels it just and proper to express its sense of services 
rendered to it and to the interest of the cit}^ by its departed member, the late Nym- 
phas \^. Hf)lway, during his connection therewith. He was far-seeing and accurate 
in his judgment, just and honest in his dealings, industrious and enterprising in his 
business pursuits, generous in his personal and other relations with the interest of 
all; and this body feels that in his death it has lost a co-worker whose value cannot 
be easily replaced; and further 

"Resolved, That this expression of appreciation of departed worth be entered 
on the records of the association and a copy thereof transmitted to the surviving 
relatives of the deceased, with earnest assurances of the sympathy of the members." 

The La Crosse Chronicle, in speaking of Mr. Holway's death, said: "Mr. Hol- 
way was a positive man, outspoken, fair to every man, and demanding a like return. 
He was a social man, enjoying fully the lighter aspects of life." 

During the war Mr. Holway was a Republican in politics, but for many years 
prior to his death he voted with the Democratic party. He was Alderman for a 
number of years, and was frequently urged to become the nominee of his party for 
high political honors, but being modest and retiring in his disposition, and having 
no inclination or desire to become conspicuous through i)olitiral preferment, he in- 
varialjly declined. 

One who was in his employ six years says: " He never gave me an unkind or 
impatient word. He wanted a man to know his business, of course. Then if he 
was industrious and honest he could go through life with N. B. Holway, respecting 
and respected." 

A few months prior to his death he had begun the erection of a magnificent 
residence in the most aristocratic neighborhood of his city. It is by far the most 
elegant home in La Crosse; but before its owner could occupy it he was called 



828 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

away. Mrs. Holway and her children moved into their new home in the spring of 
1873, but the pleasure so long anticipated could not be shared by the loving father, 
and the advent to the house was marked with sorrow and sadness. 

In the community where he had labored so long, so faithfully and so well, Mr. 
Holw^ay is deeply mourned, and his memory will long be green within the hearts of 
those left behind. 



DAVID R. DAVIS, 



DAVID RICHARD DAVIS, of Neenah, is a leading representative of the com- 
mercial interests of Wisconsin. The prosperity of a State, its advancement 
and upbuilding are due to those of its citizens who possess enterprise, energy and 
a progressive spirit. Among this class is numbered the gentleman whose name 
heads this record, and in Wisconsin's history he well deserves representation. He 
was born in the city which is still his home, March 8, 1852, and is a son of John R. 
and Jane (Jones) Davis, both of whom were of Welsh descent and brought to their 
son as an inheritance those sterling qualities of industry and integrity for which the 
race is noted. His early education, acquired in the common schools of his native 
town, was supplemented by one year's study in the Lawrence University, of Apple- 
ton, Wisconsin, where he devoted the greater part of the time to acquiring a thor- 
ough knowledge of mathematics. On leaving school, in 1870, he entered upon an 
active business career, and has since been numbered among the leading business 
men of this locality. He first entered a sawmill owned by his father, and applied 
himself earnestly to the work in hand, becoming familiar with all details. He re- 
mained for three years in that business, in Neenah and on the Wolf river, where 
his father also owned mills, and in 1873 returned to the city of his nativity, where 
he entered the employ of the Neenah Stove Works, holding a clerical position in 
the office for one year. He was then put upon the road as a traveling salesman, 
and his application and untiring labor brought him success in that direction. The 
company was composed of Messrs. Smith, Van Ostand and Leavens, and when the 
firm was dissolved, Mr. Davis was requested to take Mr. Leavens' place in the busi- 
ness, but this our subject declined to do, and the concern was therefore sold out to 
Bergston Brothers & Company. 

During this time Mr. Davis' ability as a business man had been recognized and 
his fitness for commercial pursuits had been noted. He was quick to act upon a 
suggestion which he believed would be beneficial to the interests with which he was 
connected, sagacious and far-sighted, and keenly appreciative of the strong and 
salient points of a controversy. He displayed a high sense of honor, which won 
him universal confidence, and was rapidly winning his way to a foremost place in 
business circles. In 1877, seeing an opportunity to engage in business for himself, 
he began a jobbing trade in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in hardware and lumber sup- 



KKI'RKSENTATIVt; MEN Ul- lUE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 82Q 

plies, and in sash, doors and blinds, and he found this enterprise to be a very profit- 
able one. He continued operations alontj that line: until 1883, when he returned to 
Neenah, having since made his home in this city. 

In the meantime Mr. Davis was married. In 1874 he was joined in wedlock 
with Miss Belle Kellett, of Neenah, who died in 1876, leaving one child, a daughter, 
Emma Belle. On the 4th of September, i88q, he was united in marriage with Miss 
Claire Barker, of Oshkosh, and they have one daughter, Gwendolin. Mr. Davis' 
connection with the paper interests of Wisconsin began in 1874. The previous year 
the Winnebago Paper Mills were founded by his father, John R. Davis, who was the 
largest stockholder in the concern. The following year he bought out one of the 
stockholders and since that time has been one of the directors of the company. On 
his return to Neenah, in 1883, he was elected treasurer, and for two years gave his 
vmdivided attention to the paper business, and his keen perceptive powers quickly 
made him master of the same, not only in general but in ever}' detail. Upon the 
death of his father, in 1885, he became the president of the Winnebago Paper Com- 
pany, and under his able and efficient management the business has steadily grown 
to extensive proportions, the concern being one of the leading industries in this 
part of the State. The manufacture of paper has become one of the most im- 
portant business interests of the Northwest, and the Winnebago Paper Company 
has won a place among the foremost. 

Other enterprises also engross the time and attention of Mr. Davis, who, in 
connection with his brother, owns and controls a half interest in the Falls Manu- 
facturing Company, of Oconto, Wisconsin, a corporation with a capital of $150,000 
and a surplus of $50,000. They operate extensive sulphite and ground-wood mills, 
and our subject is the president of his company. Davis Brothers also own a large 
interest in a sulphite fiber plant of the Kaukauna Fiber Company, of Kaukauna, 
Wisconsin, and D. R. Davis is also president of this concern. He is extensively in- 
terested in 1,500 acres of land in Minnesota, and his support and co-operation have 
been given to other enterprises. 

Mr. Davis affiliates with the Republican party, and though he has never been 
a politician in the sense of office-seeking, he manifests an interest in political affairs 
and the leading issues of the day. He is a broad-minded man who keeps well in- 
formed on all questions of moment and importance, and is a patriotic and loyal 
citizen. He has spent his leisure hours to a considerable extent in travel, having 
visited the leading points of interest in the United .States, while in 1889, accom- 
panied by his wife, he crossed the water to the Old World, spending some months 
in Europe, among the places which history has made famous and among the beauti- 
ful scenes which are world-famous. 

Mr. Davis is still a young man, but has already achieved a success and accom- 
plished a work which many do not reach in a lifetime. He is probably best known 
through his paper interests, and it is interesting to note that he was not reared in 
that line of business, his prosperity as a paper manufacturer coming through his 
adaptability, his readiness, and his indomitable energy. His career is hard to 
analyze, as it is composed of many component parts. Self-reliance, one of his 
strong characteristics, is combined with [)atienl i)urpose, resolute perseverance and 



830 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF TIIF 

steadfast integrity, and a will that carries forward to successful completion what- 
ever he undertakes. His name is inseparably connected with the history of com- 
mercial interests in Wisconsin, and he is now at the head of the paper manufac- 
turing: industries of the State. 



HON. GEORGE E. BRYANT, 



WHEN a few more decades have passed, the names of the heroes of the late 
war will appear not in the records of the living, but only on the pages of 
history. Ages hence the account of the deeds of the soldiers of the Rebellion will 
be perused with wonder and admiration. Never before since the creation of the 
world had there been such a degree of patriotism displayed by any people as that 
shown by the loyal sons of the North at the time of our country's dire distress. 
When our martyred President issued his first call for troops a willing response came 
from all portions of the loyal North. From the looms of New England and from 
the foundries of the Alleghanies; from farms; from towns and from villages of the 
West, — the sinew and very life of our country offered itself as a willing sacrifice to 
preserve the Union. The first of Wisconsin's loyal citizens to tender his services 
to the President was he whose name heads this biography. 

General Bryant was born at Templeton, Worcester county, Massachusetts, 
February 11, 1832. His father was George W. Bryant; his mother, Eunice Bryant, 
nee Norcross. His ancestors for several generations were residents of New Eng- 
land. The paternal branch was Irish; the maternal ancestors were from England. 
Representatives of both branches of the family participated in the Revolutionary 
war, and were noted for their loyalty and patriotism. 

The early education of Judge Bryant was obtained in the common schools of 
his native State and New Hampshire. His father, a mechanic and farmer in mod- 
erate circumstances, desired his son to "store capital in his brain" by securing a 
good education. He prepared for college in the Black River Academy, at Ludlow, 
Vermont, and then entered Norwich University, Vermont, a military college. His 
classmates included T. E. G. Ransom and G. M. Dodge, both of whom afterward 
became Generals in the Union army during the Rebellion. After finishing his uni- 
versity course, young Bryant began to study jurisprudence in the office of Norcross 
& Snow, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The senior member of this firm was his 
mother's brother, Hon. Amasa Norcross, who three times represented the State of 
Massachusetts in the national Congress. In 1856 he was admitted to the bar in 
Worcester, Massachusetts, and directly thereafter moved West, locating in Madi- 
son, Wisconsin, where he formed a partnership with Hon. Myron H. Orton, and 
continued the practice of his profession until April, 1861. 

The education he obtained at Norwich University fitted him for a military 
career, and before the war he took a deep interest in the Madison Guards, of which 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 833 

he was Captain. At the breaking out of the Rebellion, Captain Bryant tendered 
his services aijd those of his company, through the Cjovernor of Wisconsin, to the 
Government, — the first offer of troops that was accepted by the Governor, and from 
Wisconsin by the Government. The company became Company E of the First Wis- 
consin Volunteer Infantry, and on July 2, 1861, participated in the battle of Falling 
Waters, in which engagement the Confederates, under Stonewall Jackson, were 
forced to retire from the field. It is stated that this was the only time that Jackson 
was beaten in an engagement. Captain Bryant and his company were picketed 
along the Potomac until September, when their term of enlistment expired and 
they returned home. He was then made Colonel of the Twelfth Regiment Wiscon- 
sin Volunteer Infantry, and on January i, 1862, left for the front. The regiment 
was ordered to the Indian Territory, and marched overland via P'ort Scott, thence 
in April to Fort Riley, Kansas, en route to New Mexico. After being recalled to 
Fort Leavenworth they proceeded to St. Louis, and thence by way of the Missis- 
sippi to Columbus, Kentucky'. On the 2d of June, 1862, Colonel Bryant was ordered 
to open the railroad to Corinth, Mississippi, to give General Grant, wiio was located 
there, another supply route, and was specially instructed by his old classmate. Gen- 
eral Greenville M. Dodge, to rebuild the railroad bridges on the line between Co- 
lumbus and Humboldt, Tennessee, there being four bridges over the Obion rivers. 
Being desirous of conducting his work rapidly, he superintended the commence- 
ment of the work on three of the bridges, leaving a force at each, and then pro- 
ceeded to the Big Obion, the largest of the streams, to personally superintend the 
construction of the bridge there. The charred timbers of the burned bridge were 
hanging by irons from both shores. Having only shovels and axes, it seemed an 
impossibility, without securing additional tools, to repair this bridge; but, having 
received a military engineer's education at Norwich, Colonel Brj^ant devised a 
practical plan for the construction of a new bridge. He and his men went into the 
woods and from green timbers made three cribs, which they sunk into the river just 
west of the old bridge. They then cut from the timber large stringers to lay across 
the cribs, and on these they fastened the rails. This made a safe bridge over a 
stream 200 feet wide, and its construction was very creditable to the engineering 
skill and ingenuity of Colonel Bryant. The cribs still remain in the river and can 
be seen from the railway trains. 

During the summer of 1862 Colonel Bryant was in command at Humboldt, ar- 
riving there on the 2d of July. In October he participated in the battle of Hatchie, 
fought between the forces under Generals V^an Dorn and Hurlbut. in the same fall 
he engaged in the Holly Springs expedition, and after the surrender there he pro- 
ceeded with Grant's army to Memphis. While in that city he was sent in command 
of 6,000 men to Hernando, Mississippi, where he engaged in battle with the Con- 
federates under General Chalmers. He drove them from Hernando, captured 400 
prisoners and pursued the enemy beyond the Coldwater river. W'ith his brigade 
he then moved down the Mississippi; was in command at (^irand Gulf, whence he 
took a position in Grant's lines before \'icksl)urg. 

After the siege he marched with Sherman to Jackson, and when Johnston re- 
treated he returned to X'icksburg. Thence they journeyed to -Natchez and from 



834 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

there they participated in an expedition against Harrisonburg, Louisiana, where 
they captured and destroyed a Confederate fort. During the ensuing winter the 
members of the regiment re-enlisted as veterans and returned home on a furlough, 
after first participating in the Meridian raid. The furlough having expired they 
returned to Cairo and proceeded up the Tennessee river to Clifton, whence they 
marched to Athens, Alabama, and, crossing the mountains to Rome, Georgia, joined 
Sherman's army at Alatoona Pass and went into line of battle at Big Shanty. This 
campaign resulted in forcing Johnston back to Atlanta. On July 21 Colonel Bryant 
was in command of the front line of six regiments comprising the First Brigade of 
the Third Division of the Seventeenth Army Corps, forming the assaulting column 
at Bald Hill, and drove General Pat. Cleburne from his position. The next day 
General Hood's army undertook to recapture this hill and succeeded in surround- 
ing it, but was successfully repulsed. This battle was one of the most desperate 
engagements of the war, — the Confederates falling so closely together that it was 
almost impossible to walk over the field after the battle without treading upon the 
dead. General .Sherman gave to Colonel Bryant's brigade the credit of turning the 
tide of battle against the rebels. It was here that General McPherson, the com- 
mander of the Army of the Tennessee, lost his life. 

On the 28th of July Colonel Bryant and his men, going on the "double quick" 
to the assistance of General Logan, participated in the battle of Ezra Church, in 
which General Hood was again defeated. In the battle of Jonesboro he com- 
manded the same brigade, and after a hard fight General Longstreet was driven 
back, and as a result Atlanta was captured. He continued in command of the 
First Brigade, Third Division, Seventeenth Army Corps, — a brigade, which was 
never driven from a position and never failed to take one when ordered, — until 
the 4th day of November, 1864, when he was mustered out of the service. He was 
very ill at the time, and, to use his own words, he " hardly expected to reach Madi- 
son alive." Of his college "chums," who also had taken part in the Atlanta cam- 
paign, Ransom was dead and Dodge severely wounded. 

Returning to his farm, four miles from the city of Madison, General Bryant 
engaged in raising fine blooded stock. He has become well known to the breeders 
of dumb animals especially, through his writings in the agricultural press upon the 
origin and great worth of the "Morgan" and "Clay Pilot" horses. 

In January, 1866, he entered upon his duties as Judge of Dane county, to which 
office he was three times elected, serving in all twelve years. In 1878 he became 
secretary of the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, and filled that position five 
years. The published volumes of that society contain instructive papers from his 
pen. He served his fellow-citizens for two years as their representative in the 
State Senate. His speeches on the nomination of Matt. H. Carpenter for the 
United States Senate and on an appropriation to the Sisters of Charity contained 
passages of real eloquence. In 1882 he was appointed Postmaster of Madison by 
President Arthur. He established the free-delivery system and raised the office 
from the second to the first class. In 1890 he was again appointed to that position, 
by President Harrison, the office in the meantime having fallen back to a second- 
class. During this term it was again raised to the first class. He was Quarter- 



REl'RESENTATTVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 835 

master Gem-ral of the State of Wisconsin for six j'ears, or during the terms of Gov- 
ernor Harrison I.udington and Governor William E. Smith. He enjoj^ed the con- 
fidence and friendship of General U. S. Grant, and, being a delegate to the Repub- 
lican National Convention at Chicago in 1880, showed his loyalty to his chief by 
voting with and being one of the famous "306." He has been Commander of C. C. 
Washburn Post, No. 11, Grand Army of the Republic, and is a life member of the 
Society of the Army of the Tennessee. 

In the Republican State Convention of 1890 he made the nominating speech 
for Governor William D. Hoard. Like all New Englanders he believes in the 
common schools, and thinks a nation should protect itself and the industries of its 
people. 

(ieneral Bryant was married on the 27th of September, 1858, to Miss Susie A. 
Gibson, a native of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, whose ancestors were the first settlers 
in that town. Members of the family were participants in the war of the Revolu- 
tion and had previously fought the Indians. General and Mrs. Bryant are the par- 
ents of three children: Hattie E., George E. and Frank H. 

General Bryant has lived a generous, charitable life. As a citizen he com- 
mands the respect of all classes; as a jurist he was upright and just; as a legislator 
he guarded his constituents' interests; as a soldier he served his country with the 
ardor of a patriot, and his name should be handed to posterity as that of one of the 
worthiest of the heroes of the war of the Rebellion. 



THEODORE PRENTISS. 

WATERTOWN. 

IT f)N. THEODORE PRENTISS, one of the fathers of the great common- 
1 wealth of Wisconsin and a most prominent citizen of Watertown, was born 
September 10, 1818 in Montpelier, Vermont. He is a typical representative of that 
class of sturdy and intelligent manhood which started from the land of the Pilgrims 
and Puritans, and moved toward the prairies, carrying with it the moral, intellect- 
ual and physical stamina derived from the hardy emigrants, who, in the seventeenth 
century, dared the perils of the sea and the hardships and privations of a life in a 
new and unexplored country, in order to secure the inestimable privilege of wor- 
shiping God according to the dictates of their own conscience. 

Reference to authentic records show that the New England family of Prentice, 
or Prentz, as it was sometimes written, in those days of unsettled orthography, was 
founded by Captain Thomas Prentice, of Newton, Massachusetts, known as the 
"trooper. " He was born in England in 1621, and his death occurred on Sunday, 
[uly 6, 1710, in consequence of a fall from his horse while returning from church. 
His son Thomas Prentice, Jr., was also a "trooper" in his father's cavalry company. 
The next in the line of direct descent, Samuel Prentice, Sr., became the owner of a 
large tract of land in Stonington, Connecticut (now North Stonington), which is still 
in possession of the family, having been handed down from generation to genera- 



836 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

tion. Jonas Prentice, the son of Samuel Prentice, Sr., fought for the king in the 
French and Indian war, and died June 7, 1776, at the age of fifty-six years. Colonel 
Samuel Prentice, son of Jonas and Lucy Prentice, was one of the heroes of the Revo- 
lution, joining the valiant Colonial troops in 1775, and becoming Captain and Ma- 
jor of the Third company, Sixth Regiment, from Connecticut. He rose to the rank 
of Colonel, and through the long struggle was always at his post, faithful to the 
cause of independence. He was six feet tall, weighed 200 pounds, and was exceed- 
ingly muscular. He was the last member of the family who spelled the surname 
Prentice, as the sons subsequently changed the orthography to "Prentiss." 

Dr. Samuel I-*rentiss studied medicine, entered the army with his father, and 
there he acquired a practical knowledge of his profession. He died December 3, 
1818, at Northfield, Massachusetts. His son, the Hon. Samuel Prentiss, was born 
March 31, 1792, at Stonington, Connecticut. He studied law and the degree of 
Doctor of Laws was conferred upon him by Dartmouth College in 1832. His wife, 
Lucretia, was the eldest daughter of Edward Houghton, Esq., of Northfield, Massa- 
chusetts, and died June 15, 1855. Mr. Prentiss studied with Samuel Vose, Esq., of 
Northfield, and later with John W. Blake, of Battleboro, Vermont. He was ad- 
mitted to the bar in 1802, and began the practice of his profession at Montpelier, 
Vermont, the following year, continuing there till 1825. In that year he was solicited 
to accept a Judgeship in the Vermont Supreme Court, for his acquaintances recog- 
nized his exceptional ability, but he declined, preferring to give his attention to his 
large and lucrative practice. In 1824 and 1825 he was a member of the Vermont 
Legislature. Two years later, upon the earnest solicitation of the leading lawyers 
of the State, Mr. Prentiss allowed himself to be appointed Associate Judge, and 
served until 1829, when he was appointed Chief Justice of the State. In 1830 he 
was elected United States Senator for six years, and his fidelity to duty led to his 
re-election in 1836. 

In 1842 Judge Prentiss was appointed by the President of the United States, 
and unanimously confirmed Judge of the United States District Court of Vermont, 
and continued in that exalted position until his death. He passed away in January, 
1857, at the age of seventy-five, after thirty-two years of continuous service in the 
legal profession. He was one of the ablest jurists of the country as his distinction 
at the bar and on the bench clearly prove. 

Theodore Prentiss, the subject of this sketch, was the eighth son of the Hon. 
Samuel Prentiss. His early childhood was spent in the beautiful region lying in 
the very shadow of the Green mountains of Vermont. He entered upon a course 
of study in the academy of his native town, and subsequently was a student in the 
University of Vermont, but later it became necessary for him to interrupt his course 
and go South in quest of health and strength, for his delicate physique did not equal 
his strong mind and could not meet the demands made on it. In 1842 he returned 
to the North, and began studying law in his father's office at Montpelier, being ad- 
mitted to the bar in 1844. Naturally his family history bound him to New England, 
but he was ambitious and recognized the opportunities of the great, growing West, 
and in October, 1844, ht; came to Milwaukee, where he remained till the following 
February. 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 837 



Like many nu-n who have risen to prominence, he is in every sense of the word 
the architect of his own fortune, and the building materials he used were diligence, 
usefulness and ability. Removing to Watertown in February, 1845, he began the 
practice of his profession in connection with Mr. M. B. Williams. This firm con- 
tinued in business for three or four years, after which Mr. Prentiss practiced alone 
for more than ten years. 

F"rom the time he attained his majority, Mr. Prentiss has manifested consider- 
able interest in politics, and was a Democrat until the war of the Rebellion, at which 
time, in 1861, he allied himself with the Republican party. In 1845 he was elected 
a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, which met at Madison, Wisconsin, Oc- 
tober 5, 1846. The laborsof this convention were, however, rejected by the people, 
and a new convention was called to meet at the same place, December 15, 1847, in 
which Mr. Prentiss also served as. a delegate. His labors in these conventions were 
varied and important. In the first he was chairman of the committee on the acts 
of Congress for the admission of the State. The article on the subject was reported 
by Mr. Prentiss, adopted with a solitary amendment suggested by him and unani- 
mously carried. In the second convention he served as chairman of the committee 
on schedules and other miscellaneous provisions, in a manner equally acceptable to 
his associate members. While he took but little part in general debate, his brief 
speeches upon several pending propositions are strikingly terse, indicating a high 
order of mental culture and clear and discriminate judgment. His services in both 
bodies bear the impress of marked ability, — which is equally true of his subsequent 
legislative labors. Within these years Mr. Prentiss has acquired considerable real 
estate, and its care, in addition to his banking and other business interests, neces- 
sitated his retirement from the Wisconsin bar, in i860. As a lawyer Mr. Prentiss 
was in general practice, always painstaking and was always, by diligent and un- 
remitting labor, thoroughly well informed. His familiarity with the fine points in 
law enabled him to succeed in business affairs where others failed. In i860 Mr. 
Prentiss was elected to the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature, and took his 
seat in January, 1861, distinguishing himself by the clearness and accuracy of his 
views of the law and his capacity for labor in the committee room. He has always 
been connected with municipal affairs. He was electetl the first Mayor of Water- 
town, in 1852, was re-elected in 1854 and again in 1871. In 1851 he was also elected 
a member of the Board of Regents of the State University of Wisconsin. 

Mr. Prentiss saw, with a vision clearer than that of most men. not only the proba- 
bilities but the possibilities of the West, and what he anticipated he has diligently 
worked to realize. When the Milwaukee & Watertown Railroad Company was 
formed, he became one of its principal stockholders, and served as one of the di- 
rectors of the company. In 1874 he became one of the directors of the Bank of 
Watertown, and has served in that capacity continuousl}' since. He also served as 
president of the Watertown Gas Company continuously from 1X71 to 1888, when he 
transferred his interests to other business enterprises. 

Mr. Prentiss' private life has been spotless. Fond of the pleasures of home and 
the retirement there i)ossible, he enjoys life to the fullest extent and has been an 
e.\em|)lary husband, lie was niarrird at Monl |)cllcr. \'<Tin(mt, on I)ec(;mi)er 4th, 



838 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

1855, to Miss Martha J., the daughter of Dr. N. W. Perry, of Burlington, Vermont. 
They are the parents of three sons, — Theodore ColHns, James F"rederick and George 
Nathaniel. The family attend religious services at the Episcopal church of Water- 
town, of which Mr, Prentiss has been a member since 1868. 

During the half century of his unblemished citizenship in the State of Wiscon- 
sin Mr. Prentiss has shown himself a worthy son of an illustrious father. Though 
he is a member of the Republican party, Mr. Prentiss is thoroughly independent in 
all his political actions. He believes more in men than in party, and is altogether 
too broad to be fettered by caucauses or "machines." The best man is sure of re- 
ceiving his unqualified support, provided he stands for the right principles. He will 
not countenance an injustice or wrong because it happens to be the outcome of Re- 
publican legislation. He has the force and ability of character to make his opinions 
felt and respected. He has never been a believer in the high protective-tariff poli- 
cy, but desires to see a tariff for revenue so adjusted as to give the advantage to the 
industries of the country. Neither does he lightly consider the duties of citi- 
zenship, but regards it as the highest honor within the possession of competent 
manhood. He is not aggressive as the term is commonlv understood, but, his mind 
once made up, he will defend his views with vigor and earnestness, and generally 
succeeds in impressing them on others. 

He is highly esteemed by citizens of all classes, and has ever held the position 
of a prominent, sagacious and in every way upright and worthy citizen of a State 
whose organic law he assisted to perfect. He has rounded the psalmist's span of 
years, — three-score years and ten, — with his mental and physical powers unimpaired 
by active participation and interest in the living issues and contests of the day, and 
bids fair to yet see many years of active service in the fields of finance and a con- 
tinuation of his valuable advice in the management of the enterprises with which 
he is still connected. 



HON. JOHN BLACK, 

MILWAUKEE. 

JOHN BLACK was born in France, and in 1844 came to this country with his 
parents, three brothers and one sister. Soon after arriving, his father settled 
on a farm near Lockport, New York, and there John passed his boyhood. He had 
acquired a good education in his native country, but entered the district school to 
master the English language; however, he soon discovered that his own education 
was far superior to that of his teacher. He therefore left school and turned his 
attention to other matters. Tying a couple of shirts in a handkerchief, and taking 
a little money and his good mother's blessing, he set out for Lockport, New York. 
While seeking employment there, he chanced to meet two of his countrymen, 
who were engaged in the wholesale grocery, wine and liquor business, and from 
them he obtained employment for a term of two or three years, at a salary of 
thirty dollars for the first," fifty for the second, and eighty for the third year, with 





^21^0 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 84I 



board ami washing. After coinplctinf,^ his term of service, he became a dry-goods 
clerk at a salary of ten dollars per month, with board, which remuneration was 
soon doubled, owing to his command of foreign languages. 

About this time, ex-Governor Washington Hunt was a resident of Lockport, 
and owned a large tract of land near that city, known as Tonawanda swamp. Ger- 
man emigrants were rapidly settling in Niagara county, and Mr. Hunt agreed to 
give Mr. Black all that he obtained above a certain price for selling these lands. 
The enterprise was profitable and yielded him a considerable sum, although he 
could devote to it only the hours after the full day's labor. 

The firm by whom he had first been employed, knowing of his success, inviteil 
him to become a partner in their business, which he did. He soon found that the 
greater portion of the firm's labors fell to his lot and he requested his partners to 
buy or sell. They purchased his iaterests, and he, with his wife, set out for the West 
and arrived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the year 1857, and immediately engaged 
in the wholesale wine and liquor business. But this was a disastrous year for busi- 
ness, owing to the financial panic throughout the country, and many of Mr. Black's 
customers failed in business. He kept bravely at work, however, making the best 
of what he had, working day and night, and paid every debt he owed. From that 
time, success has attended his efforts and placed him among the wealthiest men of 
Milwaukee. From the first he was actuated by a determination to conduct his 
affairs in an honorable way, and how well he has succeeded is best attested by the 
universal confidence and esteem in which he is held. 

Although not a politician, Mr. Black was elected to many offices of honor and 
trust. While a member of the Common Council, he devoted all his efforts to the 
establishment of a system of water-works that would afford the best possible ac- 
commodations for all time. It was no easy task in those early days of public im- 
provement, but by dint of persevering energy, his efforts were successful and the 
present system of water-works, which is now recognized as one of the best systems 
in the country, was established. He was opposed by many of the citizens in all his 
labors, but now these same men acknowledge the wisdom of his plans and the 
great benefits derived therefrom. 

He represented his district in both branches of the State Legislature and was the 
author of several important bills. lie was elected Mayor of Milwaukee at a time 
when the city was strongly Republican. In the early part of his administration he 
was called away from the city to attend the obsequies of a relative, and during his 
absence the Republican members of the Common Council attempted a bold and dis- 
honorable scheme to obtain possession of the municipal government. Their plans 
were all carefully and secretly perfected, and a special meeting of the council was 
called to be held on Thursday at two o'clock in the afternoon, although the usual 
meetings were held on Mondays. They intended to revoke the appointments of 
the absent mayor and elect partisan friends to the offices. Mr. Black was notified 
by telegraph of the plot and arrived in Milwaukee one hour before the time ap- 
pointed for a meeting, thus defeating the schemers and resuming his seat at the 
head of the municipal government. His entire administration was fearless, judi- 
cious and highly satisfactory, but he declined a renominalion. 



842 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

In 1886 he was the Democratic candidate for Congress, but wasnot elected. In 
1884, and again in 1888, he was delegate to the National Democratic conven- 
tion which nominated Grover Cleveland. He has always been a stanch, con- 
scientious Democrat, espousing warmly the best principles of true Democracy; 
but in late years, he has withdrawn entirely from active participation in political 
affairrs, preferring the peaceful enjoyment of his home and friends to political 
honors. He is a stockholder in the First National Bank, in the Northwestern 
Mutual Life Association, and a member of the executive committee of the North- 
western Fire Insurance Company, of Milwaukee. 

Mr. Black is a gentleman of fine personal attainments, large of stature, sym- 
metrically formed, and with a kindly face and manner that bespeak his generous 
heart and unfaltering integrity. His humanitj' has been of that best type which 
manifests itself in deeds rather than in words. 

He married Elizabeth M. Schoeffel, a daughter of Bernhard Schoeffel, an at- 
torney of Rochester, New York. Mrs. Black was a lady of refinement and was a 
loving and devoted wife and mother. It was a sore affliction to this happy family 
when she was called away. Mrs. Black died in January, iSgi, sincerely mourned 
by a large circle of friends, who will ever remember her with affection. 

To the cathedral of St. John, in Milwaukee, Mr. Black has recently donated 
$10,000 for the building of a handsome spire as a memorial to this beloved wife. 
Mr. Black's home has been blessed with two daughters: one is the widow of C. F. 
Clarke, son of the late J. T. Clarke of the Hibernian Bank, of Chicago, and died 
in 1893, at the age of thirty-three years; the other, Elizabeth M., presides over 
her father's beautiful home with all the solicitude and care of a devoted daughter. 

Mr. Black's career has been characterized by persevering industry, strict integ- 
rity, a high sense of honor, and a conscientious regard for the rights of his fel- 
low-men, and in it one may find much that is worthy of emulation. 



JAMES H. JENKINS. 



JAMES HOWARD JENKINS, son of James and Phcebe (Donaldson) Jenkins, 
was born in Bangor, Maine, January 24, 1841. His father was in early life a 
sea captain and sailed on the briny deep for many years, but left the water and be- 
came a lumberman, in which business he continued until attacked by a fatal illness. 
His ancestors on the paternal side, both lineal and collateral, were distinctively 
American for many generations. His paternal grandmother, Mrs. Elizabeth 
Jenkins, ncc Robinson, was a descendent in direct line of John Robinson, of Leyden, 
the pastor of the Pilgrims. The Jenkins family settled in Falmouth, near Plymouth, 
Massachusetts, in 1640. Phoebe (Donaldson'* Jenkins, the mother of our subject, 
was the daughter of a Scotch clergyman, and died while her son was still a child. 
The gentleman whose name heads this record obtained his education in Bos- 
ton, whither his family removed after the mother's death. At the inauguration of 



RKlklSINIAl l\K MKN OV llIK UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. S4;, 



the war, in the spriiii^ of iS()i, with jiatriotir ardor t he yoiiii^' man Icndricd liis 
services to the country, in response to the call of (he President for 75,000 men. 
He enlisted as a Sergeant in Comixmy A, Twelfth Massachusetts Volunteer In- 
fantry, which formed a part of McDowell's corps of Poi)e's Army of Vir<,nnia, and 
participated in the battle of Champion Hills. Shortly theri^after he was com- 
missioned Second Lieutenant of the Twenty-first Rejifiment Wisconsin X'olnntirrs, 
and was ordered lo report at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he assisted in di-llliuL;- the 
regiment and i)rcparing it for the front. After leaving Oshkosh, llir i<';^imciil 
journeyed to Cincinnati, thence to Louisville, where it joined (ieneral Rosecrans' 
army. As part of Cieneral Thomas' brigade, the Twenty-first Wisconsin i)artici- 
pated in the battles of Cumberland and I'erryville, where it suffered severely. 
During the last-named engagement Mr. jeid<.ins was promoted upon the lield by 
Colonel Sweet, his commanding officer, becoming his Adjutant. With his regiment 
he participated in the campaigns against Nashville, Murfreesboro, Tidlahoma and 
Chickamagua. During the last-mentioned engagement, on the 20th of September, 
1863, he was captured by the enenn- and became a prisoner of war. He; was incar- 
cerated in Libby prison seven months, was then removed to Danville, later to 
Macon, Georgia, afterward transferred to Savannah and Charleston, .South Coro- 
lina, then sent to Columbia, Charlotte and Raleigh, respectively, and was ex- 
changed at Wilmington, North Carolina, in March, 1865, after spending nearly 
twenty months in Southern prisons. The terrible tales of suffering incurred by 
the boys in blue in the rebel prisons have been often told. Mr. Jenkins suffered 
intensely. He, with some companions, made several different attemi)ts to escape, 
and at one time succeeded in getting out of the ])rison lines, i)ut was recaptured 
and brought back. 

After being exchanged, the prisoners were given a parole of thirty days. Mr. 
Jenkins entered the service a robust, healthy youth, weighing 140 pounds, but, 
after being imjirisoned in the terrible prisons of the South, he returned to Osh- 
kosh, emaciated to a skeleton of ninety-five pounds. He lacked sufficient strength 
to return to the front, and reluctantly resigned his commission, but before his 
thirty days' leave of absence had expired, Lee surrendered and the R<'l)ellion was 
over. 

After recovering sufficient strength to enter business, Mr. Jenkins became an 
associate of his father in the lumber-manufacturing firm of j. Jenkins & Company. 
This business was continued for a numljer of years and its dissolution was caused 
by the illness of the senior member of the firm, who died in New Orleans in 1885. 
After closing up the affairs of J. Jenkins & Company, our subject became inter- 
ested in the firm of Conlee Broth(;rs & Company, which was afterward incorpor- 
ated as the Conlee Lumber Company, with a capital of $150,000. Of this cor- 
poration Mr. Jenkins is vice-president and secretary, and to his energetic dis- 
position and constant surveillance is the success of the business largely due. Ihe 
Conlee Lumber Company is engaged in lumber manufacturing and logging, be- 
sides manufacturing sash, doors and blinds. It owns its own timber lands on the 
river and conducts a g(Mieral lumber-manufacturing business. 



844 lUOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

Although Mr. Jenkins devotes much of his time and attention to the affairs 
of the Conlee Lumber Company, he has many other interests which require no 
Httle of his managerial ability. He is president of the Thompson Carriage Com- 
pany, which has a capital stock of $30,000, his associates in that enterprise being 
E. N. Conlee and D. L. Libbey. He is president of the Little Wolf Improve- 
ment Company, which, under his management, has proved a most remunerative 
enterprise. He is vice-president of the Wolf River Boom Company, director of 
the German National Bank, stockholder in the Schmitt Brothers Trunk Company, 
the Oshkosh Watch Works and various financial institutions, — in fact, he has taken 
a more or less active part in nearly all of the enterprises organized in the city of 
Oshkosh. 

Politically Mr. Jenkins is a Republican, but is in no sense a politician, always 
refusing all connection with offices of a political nature, excepting when serving as 
a member of the Board of Education, which position he has filled for many years. 
He has always been deeply interested in educational matters, and as a member 
of the above-mentioned body was a powerful factor in introducing reforms into the 
school system, especially regarding examinations. 

Naturally gifted in a musical way, he has cultivated his talents in that branch of 
art and has become an accomplished musician. In addition to his magnificent 
voice, which enables him to satisfactorily render the works of the masters in vocal 
composition, he has become proficient as an organist and as a 'cellist. He has 
probably done more than any other individual to cultivate music and literature in 
the city of Oshkosh. Years ago he was the leader of the Oshkosh Musical Society, 
but as business cares increased he discovered that he could not conscientiously con- 
tinue at the head of so large an organization. He is now and has been for the 
past twelve years leader of the Music Club, which is composed of about twenty 
members. For many years he was the controlling spirit and president of the 
Shakespeare Club. Naturally possessed of dramatic ability in addition to his 
musical talents, he has been a prominent figure in conducting entertainments by 
local talent, and has contributed largely to the enjoyment as well as to the literary 
and musical cultivation of a large number of people. 

Mr. Jenkins is a member of the Masonic fraternity, having been made a Mason 
in Oshkosh Lodge in 1870. He is now a member of Centennial Lodge, No. 205, A. 
F. & A. M.; of Tyrian Chapter, No. 15, R. A. M.; of Oshkosh Commandery, No. 
10, K. T., and of the Wisconsin Consistory. He has attained to theth irty-second 
degree Scottish Rites, and is also a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He also belongs 
to the Chicago Commandery, Loyal Legion of the United States. 

Mr. Jenkins was married in 1867 to Mary L. Turnbull, of Hartford, Connecti- 
cut, a lady of Scotch descent. Her father, Rev. Robert Turnbull, was one of the 
most prominent ministers of the Baptist Church in the United States. He was 
pastor of one church in Hartford for twenty-five years and enjoyed a national rep- 
utation. Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins are the parents of three children, two daughters 
and a son. Their names are Hester Donaldson, Anna Laurence and James. They 
have received a thorough education and like their father are untiring devotees of 
mvisic, literature and art. A large and well selected library, which includes many 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 845 

engraved productions of th(; works of the masters, in addition to the opportuni- 
ties of evolving the "harmony of sweet sounds" renders theirs a most cheerful and 
happy home circle, a haven of rest, an abode of happiness. 

Mr. Jenkins has traveled e.xtensively over the United .States and portions of 
Europe. While upon the countinent he visited Leyden, and upon going into an 
old church to see the tomb of John Robinson, from whom his grandmother lineally 
descended, he discovered that some of the old pastor's descendants had erected a 
handsome tomb to serve as a monument. Mr. Jenkins' life has been a busy one 
and proves in a marked manner that success comes more often from a fixed pur- 
pose bravely and faithfully carried out than from any chance or happy accident. 

CHARLES C ROGERS. 

MIIAWAUKEE. 

/ 1HARLES CASSIU.S ROGERS, ninth in the line of direct descent from John 
\J Rogers, who perished at the stake in Smithfield, a martyr for his religion, 
was born at Cambridge, Maine, in 1847. His father, Charles Rogers, married 
Adaline H. Spear, in 1846, and in 1856 removed with his family to Wisconsin, 
locating in Sheboygan county, where he engaged in mercantile business, which he 
shortly relinquished for the more congenial duties of a farmer. 

Charles Cassius attended the public schools of Sheboygan county, preparing 
for college under Professor A. W. Whitcom, and in 1866 he entered Bisbee's Mili- 
tary College of Poughkeepsie, New York, where he graduated in 1869. He after- 
ward became professor of mathematics in Eastman College of Poughkeepsie, 
thus serving for two years, when he resigned his position to engage in the real- 
estate business in Chicago. He returned to Wisconsin in 1873, 'i"*^ '" '876 removed 
permanently to Milwaukee. In 1881, upon the retirement of Governor W. E. 
Smith and his son, Ira B. Smith, from the firm of Smith, Johnson & Company, Mr. 
Rogers and Frank W. Harwood became members of the firm under the name of 
Allen Johnson & Company. On the death of Allen Johnson, which occurred in 
1884, Messrs. Rogers and Harwood succeeded to the business and continued it for 
one year, when Mr. Harwood removed from the city, and since that time, under 
the firm name of C. C. Rogers & Company, our subject has continued the business 
as a grain commission merchant in the city of Milwaukee. In 1890 he was elected 
secretary and manager of the Association for the Advancement of Milwaukee. In 
this position he demonstrated his executive ability: and the energy he displayed in 
thoroughly organizing this association for effective work was the chief cause that 
led to his unanimous election as president the following year ( 1S81 I , and again 
called him to that office in 1892 and 1893, without opposition. 

Mr. Rogers is still a young man. Though he has accomplished much, there 
yet remains much for him to do before the history of his life shall be written. If 
he has health and strength it is safe to predict that when that history is written it 
will be well worth the reading, for it will chronicle the words and deeds of a type 
of the best American manhood, and to such men the nineteenth century is offering 



846 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

special premiums. Had Mr. Rogers been born a hundred years ago he must 
necessarily have been a clergyman or a lawyer, for other lines of business would 
then have been too narrow for mentality such as his; but living in this age, while 
possessed of those faculties that give the man the highest rank among the clergy 
or at the bar, he finds full scope for his ambition in the rapidl}^ extending and 
widening fields of social and financial enterprise. His promotion to the presidency 
of the Association for the Advancement of Milwaukee was less a compliment to him 
than to the sagacity of the members of an organization that is at once the repre- 
sentative of the wealth and of the best brain of this city. In this position he is 
the leader of the leaders, the chosen mouthpiece of the men who are making Mil- 
waukee great. It follows as a natural sequence that such a man is a radical. The 
blood that flows in his veins was heated by the fires of Smithfield, and has not 
cooled, but while intolerant of whatever is wrong, impatient at whatever is foolish, 
zealous in defending whatever is good and pure and true, his instincts are tem- 
pered by a judgment and discretion wise beyond his years. To this happy com- 
bination of the suavitcr in uiodo with the fortiter in re is largely due his remarkable 
popularity, — a popularity that is evidenced by the fact that though a Republican in 
politics, being nominated for the State Assembly in a strong Democratic district, 
he polled the unanimous vote of the town where he resided. Much of his pop- 
ularity is also due to his oratorical gifts, which are of so high an order that they 
command the deference and win the admiration of even those who disagree with 
his opinions; but his strongest claim to the respect of his fellow-citizens is an un- 
swerving loyalty to his principles and his friends, that gives ample proof of the fact 
that the fidelity of his race has lost none of its strength in the lapse of two hun- 
dred years. After the great Third ward fire in Milwaukee, in 1893, Mr. Rogers 
was chosen secretary of the committee on organization and control thereof, and in 
that capacity was most active in affording relief to the fire sufferers. 



ALEXANDER MITCHELL, 

MILWAUKEE. 

ALEXANDER MITCHELL was born October 18, 1817, in the parish of Ellon, 
in the central portion of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. His father, John Mitchell, 
was an industrious and substantial farmer, a man of vigorous intellect, self-reliance 
and probity. His mother was of pure Scottish descent. Her maiden name was 
Margaret Lendrum, and she died during his early boyhood. He grew up on his 
father's farm under the care of his eldest sister, and received the usual education 
of the parish schools. He was afterward, for two years, an inmate of a law office 
in Aberdeen, where he enlarged his range of study and reading, and acquired some 
knowledge of the higher branches of learning. He was still later a clerk in a bank- 
ing house at Peterhead, and the business occupation and habits of his life were there 
established. 

At the session of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature in the autumn of 1838 
George Smith, of Chicago, procured the enactment of a charter for the Wisconsin 





Ah^ y^-/-<-y'i 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 849 



Marine & Fire Insurance Company, and it was organized in the spring of 1839. 
Mr. Smith had been a resident of Chicago from 1833, engaged in banking and loan- 
ing money. He established this institution in Milwaukee for the purpose of mak- 
ing a profitable use of his capital and to extend his financial operations. The two 
places were then of about the same population, and with equal prospects for future 
greatness. Mr. Smith was a native of Aberdeenshire, where he had known Mr. 
Mitchell and his relatives, and he induced our subject to come to Milwaukee as 
secretary of this comijuny. This was in May, 1839, when Mr. Mitchell was little 
more than twenty-one years old. 

Irresponsible banks had been numerous in the West, and their failure had 
brought great losses to the people. There was a strong hostile sentiment against 
banks throughout the Territory, and it was manifested in the charter of the Marine 
& Fire Insurance Company, which was authorized to insure agents against fire and 
marine losses, to receive deposits and issue certificates for the same, and to loan 
money; but it was forbidden to do a general banking business. This prohibition, 
however, being general and indefinite in its terms, was regarded as nugatory, in 
view of the especial grant of banking powers to the corporation, and was evaded 
or disregarded. The company issued certificates of deposit in the form of bank 
bills of the usual denominations, from one dollar upward, redeemable on demand, 
which passed into general circulation as currency, and it bought and sold exchange 
and discounted commercial paper like other banks, without doing a general insur- 
ance business. Mr. Mitchell entered upon the full management and control of the 
institution soon after it was successfully established, and Mr. Smith's connection 
with it ceased to be more than nominal. In 1841 David Ferguson, also a native of 
Aberdeenshire, was made cashier of the company. This institution grew and its 
business e.xtended to all parts of the Northwest, its certificates of deposit constitut- 
ing a popular and reliable currency, which was always good and at par. and which 
circulated throughout Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Michigan. 
It was received on deposit at the banks in all the Western cities, and was always 
redeemed in specie at the counter of the company and by agents in the North- 
western cities, — including Chicago, Detroit, Galena and St. Louis. The amount of 
this currency, beginning with $100,000, in 1843, the year of its first issue, was in- 
creased each year until it reached, in 185 1, $1,470,000. Runs upon the company, 
originated by rival bankers and caused by temporary local panics, were of period- 
ical occurence, but they were always successfully met. The company's credit was 
based on the confidence which the public had in the integrity of its officers and 
managers and in their ability and determination to meet all liabilities; and this con- 
fidence was strengthened from year to year, as the company filled its obligations 
literally and in their spirit as understood by the people. 

After the State banking law went into effect, in 1852, the comi)an)- was re- 
organized under its provisions, as the Wisconsin Marine & I'ire Insurance Com- 
pany Bank, with Ale.xander Mitchell as president and Daviil I'^erguson as cashier. 
Its vast circulation was withdrawn and cancelled, the new bank issuing but $100,000 
in its notes. This currency was kept in circulation until after the breaking out of 
the civil war, when, owing to the tax placed 1)\- the national banking law upon th.' 



850 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

notes of State Banks, it was retired. The business of the bank has grown with the 
increase of the city in wealth and population, and with the development of the 
State and Northwest. In 1892 its transactions equaled one-third of the entire bank- 
ing business of Milwaukee, and it is one of the strongest banking institutions in 
the country. 

In 1849, when Mr. Mitchell became a resident of Milwaukee, the population of 
the place did not exceed 15,000, and the entire population of the State was but 
30,000. The early settlers and business men were poor, the sources of business 
prosperity were uncertain and limited, and it was not until seven years afterward 
that the growth of the interior and the expansion of the trade caused a high degree 
of business activity in Milwaukee, and supplied its means of rapid and healthful 
growth. In the midst of these small beginnings, Mr. Mitchell laid slowly, and with 
care and circumspection, the foundations of his great wealth. It has grown by 
steady accumulations, by prudent investments, by patient waiting for profits and 
returns, by the industrious use of the means at command, and through the legiti- 
mate agencies by which money may be honestly and honorably acquired. He 
avoided wild speculations, however brilliant they might be in promise, and adhered 
to the beaten path of financial endeavors, guided by wisdom and rectitude in the 
choice of means, but with a high ambition as to the end to be attained. 

Following the panic of 1857 the city credit of Milwaukee was greatly im- 
paired. Bonds issued in aid of railroad construction were outstanding, amounting, 
in 1861, to $1,614,000. Many of the companies to which these bonds had been 
issued were bankrupt, and the interest was unpaid. Among the railroad bonds 
issued by the city was the amount of $200,000 to the La Crosse & Milwaukee 
Railroad Company, which was then on the hands of Colonel Hans Crocker, as re- 
ceiver. The interest on these bonds was regularly paid. A large amount of bonds 
had also been issued to the Missouri & Mississippi Railroad Company, but some 
settlement had been made on the reorganization of this company, by which the city 
received stock in the Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien Railway Company as restitu- 
tion for the bonds. But there remained nearly $900,000 of railroad bonds on which 
the interest was unpaid, and the companies to which they had been issued were 
helpless to aid the city in their payment. There was also a floating debt of $250- 
000 outstanding against the city, consisting of liens, judgments, unpaid city orders, 
and overdrawn accounts. 

The plan formulated in 1S61, after an act had been passed by the Legislature 
for the readjustment of the city debt of Milwaukee and for the redemption of the 
city from impending bankruptcy, was largely the suggestion of Mr. Mitchell, and 
he was appointed the first commissioner under the law, with Charles Ouenton and 
Joshua Hathawa}' as his associates. The plan for refunding the debt was ac- 
cepted by the creditors of the city, and the new bonds were readily taken. The 
names of Mr. Mitchell and the other debt commissioners were a tower of strength, 
and as the plan of readjustment was understood and as it passed into successful opera- 
tion, the municipal credit improved, until it became as good as that in any city in 
the West. Under successive city administrations the membership of the board of 
debt commissioners was changed from time to time except as to Mr. Mitchell, who 



KKrUKSENTATIVK MKN OI' TlIK rMTKD STATKS; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 85 1 

was reappointed and served term atter term until his decease. With the restored 
credit of the city and its growth in wealth, the duties and responsibilities of the 
office became lighter, notwithstanding the creation of the water debt and the 
greatly increased extent of the city's financial transactions in loans and payments 
for bridges, schoolhouses, pavements and other corporate expenditures. But he 
continued to act as the guardian of the credit of the city which he aided so greatly 
in rescuing from destruction, and which exists unimpared as a mark of his i)ul)Iic 
spirit and of his financial skill and sagacity. 

The part of Mr. Mitchell's career which is so conspicuously identified with the 
railroad history of Wisconsin marks him as a broad-minded financier. This part 
of his career, and the vast operations in which he engaged, supported of course by 
able colleagues, but guided by his masterful hand, added immeasurably to the value 
of every class of property, increased the wages of labor and multiplied the profits 
of production and trade. It is in these directions, when business combination and 
enterprises develop with powerful force the resources of the land and the people 
and give mementum to the public prosperity, that financial sagacity and ability 
reach the dimensions of statemanship in its broadest sense. That is, statesman- 
ship which originates and promotes a successful public policy, which secures public 
prosperity, adds to the national wealth, strengthens the cohesion by which the 
people are united in interest, in sympathy, in impulse and in their common growth, and 
thus incidentally increases human hai:)piness. Statesmanship is not only the manage- 
ment simply of national politics, directing legislation and guiding diplomacy. 
Statesmanship includes a knowledge of the wants of the people, of the means by 
which their prosperity may be promoted, the State made richer and stronger, and 
by which the march of civilization may be hastened. In these waj's a business man 
of great understanding and unswerving honesty, in prosecuting grand enterprises, 
which combine profit and advantage to entire communities widely separated by 
distances and possessing widely diversified interests, may display statesmanship of 
an enlightened order. 

The various railroads in Wisconsin were originally owned by separate small 
and weak companies. Their construction had been commenced in 1851, and had 
proceeded slowly for ten or twelve years after that time. Most of the lines crossing 
the State, as they now stand, were then substantially completed. They had been 
built with difficulty, on a basis of city, town and county bonds, farm mortgages and 
other precarious forms of credit. Obstacles of a serious nature had been en- 
countered, for the times were hard, the country new and poor, a large portion of the 
people were apathetic or hostile, and local and political feeling was often violent. 
They were operated independently of each other, were without tributary and con- 
necting lines, and their revenues were decidedly insufficient to paj- their operating 
expenses. 

At about this period the foreclosure of the mortgages on the diffi'rent lines of 
railroad was commenced in the various courts, and was prosecuted with greater or 
less energy. Owing to the variety of the liens, mortgages and judgments, compli- 
cated litigations involved the titles to much of the railroad property of the State, 
and rival claimants to its ownershij) were moving in many of the State and Federal 



852 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

courts. The prospects were not encouraging, even for those who should in the end 
become successful as litigants and secure possession of the various lines, for it 
would remain a serious question whether they could make the railroads pay the 
cost of keeping them in operation. Mr. Mitchell had individually contributed more 
of the money which had been actually invested in building these roads than anyone 
else, and had aided in negotiating the great variety of securities which had been 
used in procuring the means which originally constituted the resources of the rail- 
road companies. But few, even of the most hopeful, minds could foresee a promis- 
ing future for the railroads of the State. 

This crisis in the railroad and commercial history of the State was precipitated 
by the universal panic beginning in 1857, reaching its height in 1861-2, and lasting 
until 1865. It covered the time from 1857 to the closing period of the war. 

The railroad lines in this condition were the Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien, 
the La Crosse & Milwaukee, the Milwaukee & Watertown, the Milwaukee & Hori- 
con, and the Western Union, running from Racine to Freeport, 111. The first of 
these roads had passed into stronger hands, and the company had been success- 
fully reorganized. But in the collapse of other companies there was reason to ap- 
prehend that the other roads must fall into the grasp of alien capitalists, whose in- 
terests would be adverse to prominent Wisconsin localities, and that they would be 
so operated as to divert all the currents of traffic and travel to rival cities and 
centers of trade. 

In this emergency, and while the crisis in railroad and commercial affairs was 
pending, but as it was drawing toward its close, an arrangement was formed by 
Mr. Mitchell and those acting with him, by which the bondholders of the various 
imperiled lines of railroad associated themselves together in a corporated capacity 
for the purpose of protecting and improving their property and enhancing their 
productive value. As titles to the various roads were settled in the decrees of the 
supreme federal court, they perfected their purchase, — made under foreclosure pro- 
ceedings, — and completed plans to consolidate all the lines under the ownership 
and management of a single company. The valuable La Crosse & Milwaukee was 
first secured, including the Horicon line in the same purchase. The Milwaukee & 
Waterton road, running to Columbus, with a branch to Sun Prairie, was then 
bought. The Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company was then formed. May 5, 
1863, and in this all these lines and their branches, with their projected extensions, 
were merged. Alexander Mitchell was elected president of the new corporation, 
with S. S. Merrill as general manager. A year or two later the Prairie du Chien 
line was added to the St. Paul system; the lines through Iowa and Minnesota to 
St. Paul were afterward completed; the interior connections in Wisconsin to 
Oskkosh, Fond du Lac, up the Wisconsin river valley, between Watertown, Madi- 
son, Columbus and Portage, and to Mineral Point and Platteville, were perfected; 
the separate line to Chicago was built; the Racine & Southwestern, and the Chicago 
& Pacific were consolidated with the main lines; the Council Bluffs road was added, 
and the extensions were constructed into Dakota and the far Northwest. In 1874 
the name of the corporation was changed to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul 
Railroad Company, which it has since retained. It now owns more miles of track 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME, 853 

than any oiIut railroad company in the world. It repaid to the city of Milwaukee 
the amount of all the bonds issued in constructing its various lines. Its revenues 
are as great as were those of the United States under Andrew Jackson, and it paj^s 
a remunerative dividend upon every dollar of its stock. The success of this great 
undertaking has been a great and growing marvel through two decades, and has 
but few parallels in the history of commercial venture. With consummate dex- 
terity it has been guided over the treacherous depths and over the shoals and shift- 
ing channel of financial vicissitude. To the sagacity, sound judgment, and daring, 
yet considerate and prudent, enterprise of Mr. Mitchell this result is due, promoted 
as it has been by the wonderful growth of the Northwest, and the une.xampled in- 
crease of its population and in the demands of its trade. 

In 1869 Mr. Mitchell was elected president of the Chicago c*<: Northwestern 
Railway Company, but wise consideration of public policy appeared to render it 
inadvisible that two great parallel and competing lines of railway should be under 
the same management, and he held the office but a single year. 

Mr. Mitchell was always conservative in his political opinions. As a practical 
banker, he became a Whig, which was the bank party, as the Democrats consti- 
tuted an anti-bank party previous to the divisions of the parties on sectional lines 
and on the question of slavery. He was afterward a Republican, and entered with 
considerable ardor into the Wide-awake movement, and, with many of his distin- 
guished personal friends and associates, carried a kerosene torch in the political 
processions in i860. He was a firm supporter of the war policies of the Govern- 
ment during Lincoln's administration, and until after the war closed. He then 
supported the measures adopted by the administration of Andrew Jackson for the 
reconstruction of the States which had been at war against the National Lhiion, 
and, in the reorganization of parties which followed, he became a Democrat. He 
supported Horatio Seymour, the Democratic candidate for President, in 1868, and 
was himself a Democratic candidate for Congress in that year, in the First Wis- 
consin district, composed of the counties of Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Wal- 
worth and Waukesha. The adverse fortunes of the Democratic politics in that 
election involved him in defeat, but in 1870 he was again the Democratic candidate 
for Congress in the same district, and was elected by a very large majority, W. P. 
Lyon, of Racine, one of the associate justices of the supreme court, being his Re- 
publican opponent. In 1872, he was re-elected, but political life was not agreeable 
to his tastes, and he declined to be the candidate for an additional term in 1874. 
In 1876 he was chosen by the Democratic State convention one of the delegates at 
large from Wisconsin to the National Democratic convention, in which he sup- 
ported the nomination of Samuel J. Tilden as the Democratic candidate for Presi- 
dent. He assumed an active part in the ensuing campaign, and at its unsuccessful 
close retired permanently from active party politics. In 1879 he was nominated by 
the Democratic State convention for the office of Governor, but he pre-emptorily 
declined to be a candidate. 

During the time that he was a member for Congress, Mr. Mitchell was prom- 
inent and zealous in his support of such financial measures as were adopted for the 
urotecliou of the publiccrcdil and for the |)rote<tion of sjiccie payments. I le made 



854 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



a remarkably clear and able speech upon the subject, on the 27th of March, 1874, 
presenting in a cogent and entertaining style the solid arguments which financial 
science suggested against an inflated currency and the evils inseparable from a 
deranged monetary system, and from any basis except that of specie for the circula- 
tion of the country. At an earlier day, April 6, 1872, he made a speech on the sub- 
ject of American shipping, showing that it could be revived as a successful industry 
only by removing the burden of tariff taxation which rested upon it. 

Throughout his life Mr. Mitchell was far less partisan in his opinions and acts 
than were the party leaders whom he followed. He was always moderate in his 
views and in the language which he adopted for their expression, and he was in- 
capable of those impetuous impulses under which less thoughtful and well balanced 
men make politics an issue in personal and business relations. When he was a 
Republican, he was not far distant from the line which separated that party from 
conservative Democrats. When he was a Democrat he was not far distant from 
the line which separated that party from conservative Republicans. Regarding 
politics as rather a practical than a sentimental question, he uniformly desired the 
success of that system under which the country would be most peaceful and pros- 
perous. 

Mr. Mitchell was married in 1841 to Miss Martha Reed, daughter of Seth Reed, 
a pioneer of Milwaukee. He left one son, John Lendrum Mitchell, who is now fifty 
years of age, and who, since his father's death, April 19, 1887, has been at the head 
of the great Milwaukee Bank and also conducts successfully the other vast interests 
left to him. The son possesses those great characteristics which were so noted in 
his father, — the considerate kindness and polished courtesy toward even the most 
humble in the struggling ranks of mankind. He is notably and justly proud of 
his father's remarkable record. 

An individual biography of Mr. John L. Mitchell appears on other pages of 
this volume. 



DAVID ADLER. 

MILWAUKEE. 

DA\TD ADLER, was born in Neustadt, Austria. October g, 1821, his parents 
being Isaac and Berthie Adler. He received such an education as was com- 
monly given to Austrian youths of his position in life, and was then apprenticed to 
a baker in Neustadt, with whom he remained for three years. He subsequently 
traveled, according to custom, through different parts of Europe, visiting many 
towns and cities, in order to acquire a more complete knowledge of his business. 
This object accomplished, he returned to Neustadt, where he remained for two 
years. 

On the 15th day of August, 1846, he departed from his native land, and sailed 
for America, landing in New York, in which city he soon became established in the 
bakery business, and conti,nued therein for a period of five years. Becoming im- 
bued with the idea that the rapidly growing West offered more opportunities for 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. 855 



advancement than did the East, he closed out his New \'ork business and the year 
1852 found him in Milwaukee, where he has ever since resided. 

He decided not to resume his old business, but to invest his savini^s in that 
which promised the speediest returns, and with that end in view he opened a retail 
clothinjr store, on East Water street, with a capital of $1,200. This store was of e.\- 
tremely small dimensions, and although he had no previous e.xperience in this branch 
of merchandisincr he was very successful, owinjr undoubtedly to his untiring industry 
and business tact. Soon the narrowed limits of his store could not accommodate 
his rapidly increasing business, and in 1857 he commenced the wholesale clothing 
trade, admitting his nephew, Jacob Adler, as a partner, the firm name being changed 
to D. & J. Adler. Their first twelve months' sales amounted to $75,000. Jacob Ad- 
ler remained in the firm two years, when he was succeeded by Mr. David Adler's 
brother, Solomon, who retired in 1870, at which date Mr. Adler's eldest son and 
Mr. H. M. Mendel were received into partnership, the name being Adler, Mendel 
& Company. Mr. Mendel remained a partner for eight years, retiring in 1878, and 
since that time the firm has been known in turn as David Adler & Sons, and the 
David Adler & Sons Company, three of Mr. Adler's sons now being interested. 
Nine hundred hands are employed and the sales of the house for 1892 aggregated 
about $1,500,000, and their goods are sold throughout the entire Northwest as far 
as the Pacific ocean. During the various changes as recorded above, increasing 
trade demanded increased facilities. At first the old store was remodeled from 
time to time to accommodate the greater volume of trade, and there they remained 
until iSqo, when they established their headquarters in the magnificent new stone 
and brick structure, erected by Mr. Adler at the corner of East Water and Huron 
streets. The building, which is seven stories in height above the basement, is un- 
doubtedly the most solid and substantial of Milwaukee's many fine buildings, as well 
as one of the handsomest. From the seventh story, where are located the sample 
rooms of the house, a magnificent view of Milwaukee and a twenty-mile e.xpanse 
of lake Michigan is obtained. The sixth and fifth floors are filled with manufac- 
tured stock, as is part of the fourth, the western part of the latter floor being used 
for sponging the various cloths by machinery. The factory occujjies the entire third 
floor, while the cutting is done on the second, by electric cutters capable of cutting 
twenty-four thicknesses of cloth at one time. In fact the entire power throughout 
the building is electric, steam being used only for heating purposes. On the first 
floor are located the firm offices and salesrooms, while the basement is used for pack- 
ing and shipping. Take it all in all it is the largest and most complete wholesale 
clothing manufacturing establishment in Milwaukee or Wisconsin and one of the 
largest in the West. The success of this house and its high standing both morally 
and financially throughout the country are attributable to the careful management 
and fair dealing of its partners during all the changes and rising fortunes. Natur- 
ally, however, the most credit belongs to the founder of the business, who to-day 
stands, as he did forty years ago, at its head. To his far-reaching thought, vigor- 
ous will and splendid al)ility, may be ascribed the foundation of all the firm's pros- 
perity. 

Mr. Adler lias held \arious jxisitions of trust within his long and arli\i' life, 



856 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



having held several offices in a number of benevolent societies. For thirty-two 
years he has been a member of the board of trustees of the Jewish Orphan Asylum 
of Cleveland, and for twelve years he has held the office of vice-president. He is 
one of the most prominent Odd Fellows in the .State, having for the past twenty- 
three years been Grand Treasurer of the the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin. 

In religion Mr. Adler is of the Jewish faith and holds a prominent position in the 
Society of El Emmanuel. 

In 1848 he was united in marriage to Miss Fannie Neuboem, by whom he has 
had six sons and two daughters, — all of whom are living except two sons: Edward, 
who died in Leipsic, in 1876; and Fred, who died in Austria, in 1885. Those now 
living are: Isaac D., Mrs. H. M. Mendel, Emmanuel D., Samuel D., Mrs. R. W. 
Deutsch, and B. Frank. 

Mr. Adler is one of Milwaukee's most public-spirited citizens and is always en- 
listed in every enterprise that is calculated to enhance the city's best interests. He 
is vice-president of the Merchants' Association and has been president of the Cem- 
etery Association ever since its organization. 



EDWARD SCOFIELD, 



IT^DWARD -SCOFIELD, was born in Clearfield, Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, 
-J March 28, 1842. His father, Isaac Scofield,was a native of Virginia, of English 
ancestry. His mother, Jane E. (Collins) Scofield, was born in Clearfield, Pennsyl- 
vania, of Irish parentage. Isaac Scofield combined the occupations of lumbering 
and farming, and Edward passed his boyhood days on the farm, assisting in such 
work as his strength permitted. He attended the district school and later an 
academy at Clearfield. At an early age he determined to strive to make his own 
way in the world, and in 1855, when thirteen years old, became a printer's "devil" 
in the printing office of the Indiana Democrat, in Indiana, Indiana county, Pennsyl- 
vania. His work in the printing office served a two-fold purpose. It taught him 
the typographer's trade and was also a most desirable medium through which to 
familiarize himself with a large amount of general knowledge that he was unable to 
obtain during his school days. He remained in the office of the Indiana Democrat for 
three years, receiving in return for his labor, his board and such wearing apparel as 
his necessities required. In 1S58 he obtained a position on the Brookville Jeffer- 
sonian, of Brookville, Pennsylvania, at a salary of one hundred dollars a year and 
board. He worked upon this paper until April, 1861, when in response to President 
Lincoln's call for seventy-five thousand men, he patriotically tendered his services 
to his country, and enlisted in the army. In answer to the President's call the 
State of Pennsylvania responded so patriotically that fifteen thousand more than 
her allotted quota of men tendered their services to their country. These volun- 
teers were formed into reserve regiments and trained in martial drills. Young 
Scofield became a private in the Eleventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Reserves, which 
was encamped at Pittsburg. As soon as the battle of Bull Run was fought the 




C2n 



a 




5 



KKI'RESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOLUME. SqQ 

regiment was ordered to \\ ashington, and arrived in lime to check the advance of 
the Confederates on the capital. In Washington the boys were sworn into service 
for three years or during the war, and immediately became a part of the Army of 
the Potomac. With his regiment the young soldier participated in all of the battles 
of that army up to and including the battle of the Wilderness. He enlisted as a 
private, but the same traits of character that have made him a successful man of 
business, displayed themselves, and he soon earned and received promotion. After 
the battle of Fredricksburg, he was promoted to a First Lieutenancy. Upon the field 
at Gettysburg he distinguished himself, and shortly thereafter was commissioned 
Captain of Company K, Eleventh Pennsylvania Reserves, " for meritorious conduct 
upon the field." At the battle of the Wilderness, on May 5th, 1864, he was cap- 
tured by the enemy. For ten months he was held as a prisoner of war, and during 
that time he was incarcerated in twelve prisons. After his capture he was taken 
to the prison at Lynchburg, thence to Danville; Goldsboro, North Carolina; Col- 
umbia, South Carolina; Andersonville, Macon, Savannah, Charleston, then back to 
Columbia and Goldsboro, and then to Raleigh, whence he was paroled and 
liberated about nine miles north of Wilmington, North Carolina, a few days after 
the capture of that city, by General Scofield. The treatment of their prisoners by 
the Confederacy is the darkest blot on the pages of the history of the terrible con- 
flict. The sufferings of the brave boys of the North who were so unfortunate as 
to fall into the hands of the enemy, have been described by many pens. No pen 
picture, however, carries a full comprehension of the cruelty practiced. Major 
Scofield suffered terribly, and his life was barely spared. When paroled, his bones 
protruded through his flesh, and he resembled a skelton more than a live human being. 
He joined General Scofield in Wilmington, and was immediately sent to the hospi- 
tal at Annapolis, Maryland, where he remained until he gathered sufficient strength 
to report at Washington, and to return home. At the time he was captured by the 
enemy his three years' term of enlistment was within a few days of expiration, and 
upon reaching his home at Brookville. Pennsylvania, he found a commission from 
the Government, commissioning him Major, " for gallant conduct at the battle of 
the Wilderness." 

The close of the war found Major Scofield a young man of twenty-three years 
of age, who had risen, through liis ability and worth, to the rank of Major. As a 
civilian, he first engaged himself aS an assistant to a corps of civil engineers, who 
were locating a railroad between Pittsburg and Driftwood, Pennsylvania, known as 
the low-grade division of the Allegheny V^alley Railroad. He began as a chainman, 
but becoming more and more proficient, was promoted to the position of level man 
and later to transit man. In the fall of 1868, taking the advice of Horace Greeley, 
he came West, to Chicago. There he formed the acquaintance of F"inn Hall, who 
had lumber interests in Oconto, Wisconsin, and accepted a position to act as fore- 
man of his mill there. He continued to act in that capacity for eight years, master- 
ing all the details of the lumber manufacturing business. He was industrious and 
economical, and saved enough of his salary to enter business on his own account. 
From 1876 to 1S81, he was engaged in business in Oconto. In the latter year he 
formed an association with the Marinette Saw Mill Company, and acted as super- 



86o BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 



intendent of the business until 1890, when he formed a partnership with George R. 
Arnold, and organized the hrm of Edward Scofield & Company. In 1894, the busi- 
ness of that firm was incorporated as the Scofield & Arnold Lumber Company; of 
this corporation Major Scofield is president; his son, George I. Scofield, vice-presi- 
dent; and George R. Arnold, secretary and treasurer. The company manufacturers 
from twenty-five millions to thirty millions of feet of finished lumber annually. Major 
Scofield is also interested in the lumber firm of McElwer & Company. Politically 
he is a stanch and zealous Republican, a firm believer in Republican principles, 
and a strong advocate of the doctrines of that party. While in no sense a politi- 
cian, he lends his aid to assist his party in its campaigns and exerts himself to 
assure it success at the polls. He has never sought political positions, but in 1887, 
was elected to the State Senate, from the First district of Wisconsin. In 1894 he 
was the choice of a great many Republicans for gubernatorial honors and his 
friends made a gallant fight for him, previous to and during the convention. How- 
ever, they were unable to secure enough votes to nominate him, and upon the sixth 
ballot the honor devolved upon Major Upham, of Marshfield. 

In 1870 Major Scofield married Miss Agnes Potter, of Oconto. Two sons, 
George I. and Paul D., constitute the living issue of this marriage. A daughter, 
Julia A., died in childhood. 

Major Scofield is an active member of the E. R. Ramsey Post, Grand Army of 
the Republic, at Oconto, and of the Wisconsin Commandery of the military order. 
Loyal Legion. His life has been most creditable. He entered the army at the 
age of nineteen, and proved himself brave and fearless. His ability as a soldier 
carried him upward and onward, and his promotions were rapid, and, considering 
his youthful age, very high. As a private citizen he has displaj^ed the same traits 
of character that made his military career a success. He has been steady, reliable 
and not afraid of hard work, but entirely through his own exertions and by con- 
stant application he has risen to a high position among the representative men of 
the Northwest, and his name should be passed to posterity as that of a brave and 
patriotic soldier, a successful, self-made man and an honorable and upright citizen. 



E 



MILO JACKSON ALTHOUSE. 



7^ ACH community possesses one or more men whose lives tell a wonderful story, 
-li and its chapters are headed by the words: lack of education, poverty, economy, 
industry, sagacity, adaptibility and crowning success. Waupun has one man who 
more than any other has attained the seemingly impossible. While he has not 
achieved a wonderful fortune in dollars and cents, such as has come to the million- 
aires of the nation, his success is the greater, because of the limited advantages and 
few opportunities which were his in early life. One thing is sure: that he worked 
as hard and faithfully for his success as any man living, and his prosperity is cer- 
tainlv well merited. 

Milo Jackson Althouse, was born in Pennsylvania August 10, 1828. and his 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; WISCONSIN VOI.UMK. 86l 



I)arents were Xirholas and Sarah (Hilli Altlioiise, worthy people of German des- 
cent. They began their domestic life in the Keystone State, but soon afterward 
removed to New York and located in Tompkins county. The husband depended 
upon his daily labor to sustain the family, and though he was anxious to give his 
children the best of educational opportunities, he was unable to do any more than 
to occasionally send them to the neighboring public school. In 1849, when our sub- 
ject was twenty-one years of age, the family moved to Fond du Lac county, Wis- 
consin. The parents were industrious people, possessed of a native intelligence, 
were devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and reared their family 
with an eye single to a useful and devoted life. 

On Sunday afternoon, October 15, 1849, our subject came to Waupun with his 
entire fortune, which consisted of a fifty-cent piece. This he declared he would 
keep and use to make the final payment on a forty-acre tract of land. Early 
inured to hard work, he had developed a self-reliance and steadfastness of purpose 
which have been of incalculable benefit to him in his later years. By laboring day 
and night Mr. Althouse finally became the proud possessor of a forty-acre tract of 
land, and made his final payment with the identical half-dollar which he had 
promised himself he should not part with except for that purpose. In 1853 he ob- 
tained a fifty-cent piece coined that year, and this he has carried to the present 
day (1894), — a period of more than forty years. F"or some time Mr. Althouse fol- 
lowed farming and dug and drilled wells, which work brought him ready money 
and aided materially in adding to the profits of his farm labors. In his boyhood 
he had learned the trade of basket-making, and in the evening upon his return 
home from his day's labors, he would sit up late and make a basket. Money was 
scarce in those days and as he was compelled to have assistance and could not pay 
his laborer cash, he would give his employe a basket which he had made during the 
previous night. His work at well-digging led him to study the construction of 
pumps and this ultimately resulted in the foundation of the present Althouse- 
Wheeler Company. 

In 1855 Mr. Althouse embarked in the manufacture of pumps by hand, later he 
used horse-power in the manufacture, and ultimately began operating his factory 
by steam. He continued to reside upon his farm for five years after manufactur- 
ing his first pump, but in 1859, his business having increased, he removed to Waupun 
and here located a factory. In 1873 he added wind-mills to his line of products, 
and these have met with a very extensive sale throughout the world. He not only 
sells his mills in the United States, but large numbers are exported to Europe 
India and New Zealand. Hitherto the entire business had been conducted under 
the name of M. J. Althouse, but the enterprise grew so rapidly that a change was 
necessary. In 1874 he formed a copartnership with George F. Wheeler and L. 
D. Hinckley, under the firm name of Althouse, Wheeler & Company, which was 
subsequently changed and the present corporation of the .Mthouse Wheeler Com- 
pany, with a capital of $100,000, formed. The business as now conducted is one of 
the largest in the country, and is steadily growing. Reverses come to nearly all at 
onetime or another, and the career of Mr. Althouse has not been an exception to 
this rule. In the winter of 1879 his large factory was destroyed by fire, and a loss 



862 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

of $12,000 entailed in material, exclusiYe of the value of his buildings. Fortunately 
he owned a planing-mill in addition to his pump factory, which was at once utilized. 
The success to which Mr. Althouse has since attained seems almost marvelous 
when we consider that he started the business on his farm, making pumps by hand. 
Many valuable inventions of Mr. Althouse have materially aided his success, but 
all he possesses is self-created. When he started out in life for himself he worked 
for fifty cents per day at any labor he could obtain. He took land on shares, sat 
up nights to make his baskets, and labored hard and faithfully. The first winter 
he lived in Wisconsin he walked three miles every morning to chop wood, at thirty- 
one cents a cord. He frequently worked late into the night and piled his wood by 
moonlight. Thus he labored while other men were idling and waiting for fortune 
to visit them. When he became a man of means he did not suspend his efforts. 
Once when he had bought a large quantity of pump lumber of ex-United States 
Senator Philetus Sawyer, of Oshkosh, on the condition that he should superintend 
the sawing of it, he arose early Monday morning, walked to Chester, a distance of 
three miles, to catch the early train, and upon arriving at Algoma, he would re- 
main in the mill, which was operated night and day, twenty hours out of the 
twenty-four, during the entire week until his lumber was sawed. Such energy and 
watchfulness must necessarily produce their own reward, and have done so. All his 
success is deserved, being the outcome of earnest, honorable effort. 

The lady who bears the name of Mrs. Althouse was formerly Miss Mary j. 
Wood, a native of Cattaraugus county. New York, and she came with her father, 
Oliver H. Wood, to Wisconsin, in 1849. Their union has been blessed with six 
children, — Jason, who died in 1892; Lucy J.; Lewis J.; Carrie E., a graduate of 
Boston Musical Conservatory, now the wife of Rev. Frank M. Haight, of Eau 
Claire; Rosalinde, the wife of H. L. Doty, of Waupun; and Gertrude, an artist and 
elocutionist of considerable ability. 

Mr. and Mrs. Althouse possess deep religious natures, and are devoted mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Althouse is a member of the In- 
dependent Order of Odd Fellows. He was formerly a stanch supporter of the 
Republican party, but of late years has devoted much time and energy to the in- 
terest of the Prohibition party, as he thinks the welfare of humanity demands 
the suppression of the liquor traffic. The career of Mr. Althouse has been indeed 
a remarkably successful one. Few men starting in life in like circumstances have 
attained to as honorable a position. 



CHARLES J. CHURCHILL. 



WAUPACA. 



THE wonderful force of character some men display under adverse circum- 
stances is in some cases so remarkable and their success in life is so pro- 
nounced that a record of their achievements is not only their just due, Init an abso- 
lute benefit to mankind. During the later years it has become somewhat of a fash- 
ion to complain of the lack of opportunities this world of ours presents, and when 



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE LNITKl) SI.MEs; WISIONSIN VOLUME. 



failure overtakes us, we are apt to blame our "fate," as though it was a [xuvcr rul- 
ing and controlling our destinies, without considering whether we have done all in 
our power to accomplish the end sought. 

The life of him whose name heads this sketch, fraught with good results, ren- 
ders him well worthy of a prominent position among the representative men of the 
United States. Charles Judson Churchill was born on a farm in Inilton county, 
New ^'ork, December 24, 1846, and is a son of Klijah \V. and Kliza Churchill, the 
latter bearing the maiden name of judson. In 1843 the father left the farm and 
settled in Broadalbin, New York, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits. He was 
of English descent, the family having come to this country about 1640. The mother 
of our subject came of that branch of the Judson family which founded the exten- 
sive glove and mitten manufactories of Gloversville, New York, which has since 
achieved a national rejiutalion. In 1850 Elijah W. Churchill came West and set- 
tled on a farm near Waupaca, Wis., where our subject was reared to manhood. 
When he was live years old, he was stricken with paralysis, which left the entire 
lower part of his bod}^ useless, and as he is now, in 1894, f6rty-seven years of age. 
he has been unable to walk without the aid of crutches for nearly forty years. He 
at first received the meager educational privileges, which were afforded by the dis- 
trict school in those days, but later, in 1866, he was enabled to attend the 
Eastman Commercial College at Chicago for one 3'ear. Upon his return to Wau- 
paca, he secured a position in a warehouse at Gill's Landing on the Wolf river, and 
afterward obtained a tutorship in the common schools of Waupaca county, where 
he labored several years. 

In i86q Mr. Churchill was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court, and held that po- 
sition for twelve consecutive years with credit to himself and satisfaction to all con- 
cerned. His fidelity to duty caused his continued re-election without apparent op- 
position of any importance. While in that office, he saw the possibility of adding 
to his fortune by copying the real-estate records, and by years of hard and cease- 
less work he accomplished that task, and when he later sold his set of abstracts he 
realized a neat sum, sufficient to give him a coveted start in life. His duties as 
clerk of the court fostered in him a desire to study law, and in iSSi he was ad- 
mitted to the bar at Waupaca with the privilege of practicing his chosen jjrofession. 
He at once gave his whole attention to real-estate law and has become the best 
posted attorney on titles in Waupaca county. He is careful and painstaking in all 
that he undertakes and is looked upon as one of the leading men, both profession- 
all)- and in Imsiness circles, in this part of the State. In 1891 Mr. Churchill organ- 
ized the Waupaca County National Bank with a capital of $50,000. He was chosen 
the first president of the institution and has since filled that position. While the 
bank has not entirely escaped the severe panic of 1893, the same has, however, 
proven of incalculable benefit in demonstrating to the people of Waupaca county, 
its conservative business methods. 

While Mr. Churchill is in no way a politician, nor a seeker for iioliticai honors, 
he takes considerable interest in all questions of local importance. He is a Repub- 
lican in sentiment and an earnest advocate of the doctrines of that party. 

Mr. Churchill was married November 24, 1868, to Miss .Ann b!. Walker of We\- 



864 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE 

auwega, Waupaca county, and to them have been born six children — Lucy M., who 
is now the wife of F. S. Baldwin, a resident of Waupaca; Fred W.; Herbert, who is 
now attending commercial college in Milwaukee, Wis.; Ned; Lloyd C, and 
Richard G. 

The success Mr. Churchill has attained in his life is entirely due to his own 
personal efforts. It cannot be doubted that he b the architect of his own fortune, 
as few men have been more handicapped in life than he. His career has been one 
of great activity and demonstrates the valuable opportunities the republic presents 
to the young man of business ability, honesty and indomitable industry. The 
record Mr. Churchill has made is one of which he may well be proud and his hon- 
orable, upright life has won him the confidence and esteem of all with whom he has 
been brought in contact. He has been a member of the Odd Fellows society since 
1874 and has held all the offices in the lodge with which he is connected. He has 
also represented his lodge in the Grand Lodge of the State. He has been a mem- 
ber of the Board of Education for twelve years, and was its president for six years, 
but at length resigned his position on account of the pressure of his private duties. 
The cause of education finds in him a warm friend and he is actively interested in 
all matters pertaining to the welfare of this community and its upbuilding. 




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